The Judgement Card
by Ren Kayashima
Summary: It's been a year since Dave found out he had a daughter. Things seem to have fallen into a normal rhythm, but can more trouble stir things up? Will Dave and Rori ever have a normal life? Part 4 of the Tarot Series.
1. Chapter 1

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

_**Shout Outs: As promised the list of people who have reviewed. **_

_**Dyallon:**__** Thank you once again for seeing another story to its end. Let see what kind of adventures I can come up with this time.**_

_**Sexysnake:**__** I'm so glad you found humor in Rori's stage fright after everything she's been through.**_

_**Hxchick:**__** I'm happy that you love my series. It means you'll keep reading it as I write. **_

_**P95000**__**: I love writing Jack Hotchner, so the last chapter was fun. I'm glad you'll be sticking around for this story too. **_

_**Kimd33:**__** I'm glad you enjoyed the ending. It was a lot of fun to write. **_

_**Booksandmusic97**__**: Yay for Disneyworld… Lucky duck. Kyle won't be a creeper. I promise.**_

0o0o0o0

June 23, 2011

Dave stood in a lonely graveyard. It was a warm June day, and there was nothing that would hint at the trouble coming in the next couple months. It was the first day off in two weeks, and there had been something that Dave had been meaning to do for almost a year.

He looked at the tombstone that he stood in front of and stared at the name etched in granite. It called him out and brought back memories of a time that was happy and what he thought was perfect. There were only a few times that Dave could look back on and think were perfect.

Christine Morre was David Rossi's second wife. She was a lawyer, got her degree from Georgetown, and graduated at the top of her class. She was smart, beautiful, and for a couple perfect years, she was David's world. She had died close to three years ago. Although, 'died' probably wasn't the right word for it. She had been murdered by a duo known as the Highland Killers while on vacation in Scotland.

At the time of their divorce, Christine had been pregnant with Dave's daughter Rori. In an attempt to cut off all ties with the profiler, Christine never told him about their little bundle of joy. Only to have Rori dropped off at the steps of the FBI by her aunt Kate eighteen years later.

At first there was the initial disbelief. You could call it denial even. Who could hide a child from one of their birthparents? It's one thing to no say anything about it to her parents. They were horrible people, but she hadn't told him, so it couldn't be true. Could it?

Next came shock. He had a seventeen year old daughter. A smart one. He knew nothing about her, so he did what any guy would do when trying to get to know a woman. He sat down and had dinner with her. That's when he found out about her job as a voice actor, her relationship with her mom, and the parts of her life that he had missed out on.

The last emotion that came to David Rossi was anger. How could Christine do something like this! It screamed of immaturity and selfishness. She wasn't just keeping a secret form him. She kept Dave a secret from Rori. She never knew about her father until she met him a year ago. That was the one thing that set him over the edge. A child should know who both their parents are. It took drinks with Hotch to calm him down.

Dave sighed as he kicked the lush green grass. "It's been a really intense year Chris. We lost people on my team. One before Rori showed up," he grunted. "You know how to keep one hell of a secret. I didn't expect to become a father this late in life. It's okay though. She's brilliant, but since she moved in, we've run into a few problems."

Of course he was referring to Collin, one of the Highland Killers, and how he had kidnapped Rori. The serial killer had fallen in love with Rori back when she was kidnapped in Scotland with her mom, and traveled to the states so that he could be close to her once more. He had locked her in a room for two weeks, only for Rori to outsmart him in the end and escape.

After Collin was Matthew. A promising reporter until he started to support African genocide. The young man would write articles support outrageous ideals, and they wouldn't get published in the school paper. At the time, Rori was writing for the paper, and kept getting her pieces published. Out of jealousy, Matthew kidnapped Rori and an African diplomat. Rori barely escaped that instance, and Dave had come close to losing one of the main things that brought joy to his life.

Then there was Sorrow, Rori's serial killer/stalker. He had gone around killing people who would dress up at a character Rori voiced. They were imposters, and Rori was the only true Natsuko. Rori did escape that time, and ended up getting shot. That was only a few weeks ago, and Rori was now back to her usual bubbly self.

"I met Kyle a few weeks ago," Dave spoke once more. "Now I can understand you not telling me about him. Sort of."

Kyle Bishop was Rori's half-brother who had been put up for adoption at a time when Christine wasn't able to take care of herself. In the time since meeting Kyle, Rori had convinced her dad to let Kyle move in with them. Dave had been reluctant at first, but after Kyle had been in the house for only a week, Dave realized that Rori needed the company for when he was away on a case. Kyle was a good housemate. He kept things clean and in their place.

"I'm going to make sure they're okay,' Dave told the tombstone. "It's the least I could do after my job made our marriage fail. They're your kids, and they've become important to me."

Dave liked having the company. It made his home seem lived in. He no longer had that feeling of dread when he returned home after a case. A place to sleep had become a home, an actual home that made Dave feel happy.

Before Rori came into him and into his life, Dave spent the majority of his time hunting or at the academy. To use Rori's vernacular, 'it sucked' when he had to go home and find only his dog Mudgie available for companionship. Now, he lived with tow college student, three large dogs, and two kittens. The house had seen more changes in a year than it had in the ten years since he bought the place. He was one frat house party short of a nuclear meltdown, but it was a welcome feeling. Even if he hated to admit it, he liked the feel of a full house.

Dave sighed and looked at his watch. He had to go home and meet Rori and Kyle for dinner. Rori was trying something new. She was going to make homemade dumplings. The senior agent looked at the tombstone one last time before turning around. He had told Christine what he needed to, and now he had to do what he promised her he would do.

When he entered his home an hour later, he heard an argument coming from the kitchen. He smiled slightly as he was met by his three dogs Mudgie, Zen, and Chou. "Hey," he said looking at his personal hunting companion. Mudgie wagged his tail in merriment. "What are they fighting about this time?"

The chocolate lab stared at the man and tilted its head to the side.

"Dad, is that you?" Rori's voice came from the back of the house. Dave placed her in the dining room and not the kitchen. She was probably setting the table.

"No, it's a burglar, who just so happens to have a key," Kyle retorted with a snort. "Of course it's Dave."

"How's dinner coming along?" Dave asked.

He could hear the two talking in hushed whispers. "Fine!" they chorused after a minute.

Dave sighed. Rori had failed in her attempt to make dumplings and was trying to cover it up. "I'll order pizza," he stated with a chuckle.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: Yay! I finished the first chapter to the next Tarot story. Are you guys happy? I hope so. I liked writing this one. It was different from the recap in Justice, and I think that it's a great way to start off another installment to this fantastic series. It reminds me of the Nancy Drew novels and how the first chapter is always there to tell you who Nancy is, who her father is, and most importantly it tells you about Hannah Gruen.

_**Important News: 1.)**_ The month of August is going to be full of changes. I'm going back and working on editing and rewriting _The Death Card_ so that the material is more like what I'm posting at the moment. So I'll be keeping people posted on that as well. Check it out when you get the chance. You may like the changes you see.

2.) Ren Kayashima can now be your friend on Facebook. I know that many people are concerned about sharing info. Don't worry about that. I'm not saying people have to follow me there. I created the account to talk with several people on that also created separate accounts. I'll be posting links and a lot more updates there. If you don't want to do that, I also have a twitter and tumblr. Mostly because I get really bored.

Drop me a review because I know you want to.

Shane


	2. Chapter 2

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Two:

July 1, 2011

Dave sat in his office at the BAU finishing up his paperwork before his weekend started. It was a holiday, so hopefully he would be able to actually enjoy it. Rori had big Fourth of July plans for the entire team, and a case would ruin all her hard work. Both Rori and Kyle had decided not to take a summer course at their universities, and spent most of their days locked inside the air conditioned home.

Dave checked the report he had just finished, and made sure everything was in order before he left for the weekend.

Hotch was already waiting at the elevator when Dave walked over. Hotch smiled. "Is Rori cooking tonight?" he asked. The entire team knew about Rori's failure to cook dumplings last week, but they also knew that she knew how to make the perfect steak and garlic mashed potatoes.

Dave nodded. "I told her that she's not allowed to experiment with any new recipes for a while. Stick to the basics," Dave chuckled as the elevator doors opened.

"Jack's looking forward to the party on Monday," Hotch said as they entered the elevator. "He wants to play with Mudgie again."

"Morgan is bringing Clooney," Dave smiled. "I tasked Rori and Kyle with getting everything for the party today. That includes food, party favors, and fireworks."

"Is that why you're driving Rori's Mustang?"

Dave nodded. Rori owned a brand spanking new, fresh off the lot, black Ford Mustang. It was only a couple months ago that she had gotten into a car accident. The insurance paid to replace the year old silver Mustang she previously owned, but Dave had to pay additional money to get the latest model Mustang. This year seemed to be a year for spending money.

"My SUV has more space in the back, so they won't have to make separate trips," Dave explained.

"Why not do the shopping tomorrow?" Hotch asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Dave asked. "Then I would have to go with them. By getting the shopping done today, I've avoided all the hassle that goes along with it. I specifically designed it that way so that I wouldn't have to be a part of it."

Hotch grinned. Something told him that Dave was going shopping tomorrow. Garcia has said something earlier about Rori and Kyle making a trip to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. That was a two hour drive from Quantico. "Smart move," he said.

Both agents exited the elevator and made their way to their vehicles. Hotch gave Dave a nod before slipping behind the wheel of his own SUV. Unlike the Government Issue black, his was a dark green that Jack had picked out a few months ago when they traded their old car in.

0o0o0o0

Dave entered his home to find Rori and Kyle standing in the foyer. Rori's long black hair had been pulled up into a bun and her green eyes had a mischievous glint. Kyle stood six feet tall and was four inches taller than his sister. His hair was a thick shaggy black, and his blue eyes stared at Dave in amusement. Both siblings stood straight with their arms crossed.

"How was the shopping?" Dave asked innocently.

Rori turned on her heel and made her way to the family room. "We didn't go shopping," Rori stated as she sat on the large brown couch in front of the flat screen TV. Kyle sat down next to her as Dave looked at them in shock.

"You mean to tell me that you spent the entire day in the house again?" Dave mentally groaned, but continued with the concerned father bit. "You guys really should get out of the house. It's not healthy to stay inside."

"But we did go out," Kyle grinned. "We went to Williamsburg."

"Williamsburg?" Dave asked as he sank into his favorite recliner. He was starting to get a bit annoyed. They had caught onto his master plan to avoid shopping.

"We went to Busch Gardens," Rori said. She propped her feet up on the coffee table and snuggled into the couch cushions. "We didn't get to stay there long, so we'll be going back next week. We got season passes."

"I wanted you to do the shopping today," Dave sighed.

"Rori thinks we should do it as a family," Kyle said with a smirk.

_Damn, they did catch on._ Dave thought. He should have known better. Rori enjoyed messing with him. "How was it?" he asked continuing their conversation about the amusement park.

"It was super fun," Rori gushed excitedly. "In California, we have tons of amusement parks, but this one was different. I can't wait to go again.

Dave leaned back in his seat. "That's good. When are you going to start dinner?" he asked as he closed his eyes. He might as well relax before tomorrow came.

Rori stood up. "I can start now if you like."

Dave nodded. He was quietly trying to plan out his revenge. He would get the two college students back for tasking him with shopping duties. Rori disappeared into the kitchen. Dave opened one eye and found Kyle staring at him with a wide smirk on his lips. "How did you know?" he asked.

"Rori said you'd find any excuse to get out of shopping," Kyle laughed. He reached over the arm of the couch and pulled a large stuffed bear up. He dropped it on the profiler's lap. "Rori won this for you," he said as he left the family room to help his sister with the cooking.

Dave stared at the bear's face as it quietly mocked him. It was made with a cheap blue fabric. The small black eyes were practically swallowed up by the fabric. If Dave had to guess, he's say the bear was four feet tall. He tossed the giant stuffed anime on the couch, and let out a deep sigh. Tomorrow was going to be a pain in the ass.

0o0o0o0

Dave was in hell. There was no other way to describe it as he followed Rori with a shopping cart. The Safeway they were in had turned into a battle to the death between barbeque kings, harried house wives, and stressed out mothers. As Rori moved at her own leisurely pace, the rest of the general population was running from isle to isle trying to find everything they needed to complete the perfect Fourth of July party.

Rori held her phone in her hand kept looking at it as she scanned the shelves. Dave had recently learned that there was an application for her iPhone that allowed her to have a digital grocery list. When she found one of her desired items, she simply had to tap the item, and it would disappear from the screen.

Dave was about to order Rori out of the way of a charging mother when she moved out of the way herself. The woman rushed past Dave and pounced on the canned baked beans. Rori had yet to look up from her phone, and her dad had to wonder if she was actually paying attention to what she was doing. There was no way she could be this calm if she was actually paying attention.

Rori picked up a can of green beans. "Do you think we should get some fresh green beans?" she asked looking over the edge of her black glasses.

"Rori, how much longer are we going to be in this hell hole?" Dave asked. He looked at his watch. They had only been here for a half hour, and they still had the other half of the store to cover.

Rori looked at her list. "We're almost done," she smiled. She dropped the green beans into the cart. I wonder how Kyle's doing at Party City," she mused as she looked up at the isle number. She started mentally counting the number of isles to the frozen section.

Dave didn't want to think about it. There was always the off chance that the party supply store was another minefield that he had to brave. The Marines taught him a lot of things, but even they couldn't prepare a man for these colossal disasters waiting to happen. Another woman in a food induced craze shot by and Dave reached up to make sure his facial hair was still in its rightful place.

Rori shook her head as she laughed. "Lighten up dad. You'll give yourself a heart attack if you continue to tense up every time someone rushes by."

"How are you so calm?" Dave asked.

_CRASH_

Rori looked at the end of the isle to see two women screaming at each other. The teenager remained unfazed. "Grace under pressure was a skill I mastered back in high school. Freaking out won't help, and if I rush through the store, I'm bound to forget something important.

Rori grabbed some canned spiced apples and dropped it in the cart. "All right, time to go get the meat for the burgers and Ka-bobs. Then we'll get the ice cream. After that, we're done."

Dave looked at the ceiling. "Thank you God," he mouthed. He was ready to get out and never come back.

A half hour later Dave was helping Rori load up the back of the SUV. Rori was talking to Kyle through her headphones as she dropped a thirty-two pack of water bottles into the trunk.

"Don't forget to get double the amount of sparklers. Hotch told me that Jack want's to write his name in the air. Henry will find the colored smoke bombs to be really fun. Make sure they have some blue ones. JJ says that's his favorite color right now."

Dave smiled as he grabbed some bags. Rori always tried to make sure everyone was happy. He had seen this with the New Year's party she threw back in December. She was the perfect hostess, as she moved from guest to guest. Dave knew for a fact that this was something she had learned from her mother. Dave thought beer and a pizza were the only requirements for a party. Anytime he suggested it, Rori threw her hands up in the air and started mumbling in one of the five languages she spoke.

Rori hung up with Kyle and looked at her dad. "What?" she asked with a wide smile.

"Nothing," Dave laughed lightly. "Don't worry about it."

"What is it dad?" Rori asked as her curiosity grew. There was something in her father's eyes that said there was more going on in his head.

"I said don't worry about it," Dave told her.

"Well something is obviously amusing you," Rori stated. "Tell me."

Dave stopped unloading the cart and leaned against the car. "You just remind me so much of your mother. She knew how to throw a party."

Rori smiled as she pushed her hair behind her ears. "She taught me everything I know."

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: The holiday weekend has inspired me obviously. I hope you enjoyed this little bit. It was a lot of fun to write, and I enjoyed it.

_**Important News: 1.)**_ The month of August is going to be full of changes. I'm going back and working on editing and rewriting _The Death Card_ so that the material is more like what I'm posting at the moment. So I'll be keeping people posted on that as well. Check it out when you get the chance. You may like the changes you see.

2.) Ren Kayashima can now be your friend on Facebook. I know that many people are concerned about sharing info. Don't worry about that. I'm not saying people have to follow me there. I created the account to talk with several people on that also created separate accounts. I'll be posting links and a lot more updates there. If you don't want to do that, I also have a twitter and tumblr. Mostly because I get really bored.

Drop me a review because I know you want to.

Shane


	3. Chapter 3

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Three:

July 4, 2011

The Rossi household was full of life as the warm day progressed. It was hard to believe that earlier in the morning it was a calm start for the three family members. The morning was spent moving at a leisurely pace. It wasn't until three that things picked up.

Aaron Hotchner showed up ready to barbeque. Rori had worked her magic and had convinced the team leader that he, and only he, could be the barbeque king at this soirée. Rori apparently didn't trust her dad with the grill and Morgan wasn't a safe bet with his tendency to show off. She hadn't even considered the accident prone Reid.

The team leader brought Jack along early and Rori came hopping down the stairs in the foyer. She skidded across the wood floors in her socks. "Jack Attack!" she greeted happily. She bent down and let the toddler run into her arms. She lifted him up and spun around quickly.

Dave and Aaron stood side by side and watched as Rori whispered in Jack's ear. Whatever she said made the young boy hug her close and nod vigorously. Rori skillfully leaned against the wall as she pulled her socks off. Dropping her little buddy because she slipped was not an option.

"What are you plotting?" Dave asked his daughter as his eyes narrowed.

"Plotting is such an evil word," Rori smirked.

"Crap," Dave muttered. "The last time she said that, she bought new furniture for her room and moved the couch."

Aaron let a rare smile grace his lips. The fact that Rori could keep her dad guessing could be a problem in the future. Already she was running around D.C on a daily basis, and the senior agent had been muttering about some suspicious behavior between Rori and Kenta. David Rossi was a profiler, but Rori had found a way to keep him in the dark when it came to her day to day activities.

"Where's your grill?" Hotch sighed. Distracting Dave was the best option at this point, and for any guy, food was the best distraction.

"On the patio out back. Kyle's making sure it's all set up," Dave grunted.

As the two agents headed to the backyard, Hotch looked around Dave's granite countertops. "It looks like your furniture is safe." He said. "Rori's baking."

Dave shook his head. "Rori baking is a bad idea. She doesn't know when to stop," he said as Rori and Jack came from the dining room. Jack held a book of cookie recipes to his chest.

"I heard that," Rori said. "I do know when to stop, I just don't like to. Baking relaxes me and it was something I did with mom," she said with a small, sad, smile.

Dave shook his head. It was best to move on and leave the children to their own devices. Rori physically wasn't a child, but when she was around Jack, she became a ten year old with ADHD. She giggled and her speech patterns changed. She spoke simply and had a rather blunt way of conversing. Still she managed to keep everyone happy so the verdict was still out on her official mental age.

At three the guests had finally settled in for a day of fun, and Dave was ready for bed. Rori wanted him to greet everyone this time while she spent the day baking. She was constantly moving in and out of the kitchen, so she was simply 'too busy' to answer the door.

Kyle and his school friends were off in a corner of the backyard fooling around. Kyle held a firework in one hand as he continued his animated conversation with Davis. Rori sat on the sturdy wood porch railing as she watched everyone have fun. Reid was playing chess with Kaoru, and from the looks of it, he was winning. As usual, Rori saw JJ and Garcia in a corner talking as Morgan and Will chased the dogs. Clooney held a table cloth in his mouth as he galloped around the backyard.

Kenta walked over to his girlfriend and leaned against the railing. "Why do I get the feeling that your mind isn't on the party going on around you?" he asked.

"It's completely on the party," Rori lied. She carefully slipped off the railing. "Jack and Henry are taking naps so that they're completely awake for the fireworks. I'm trying to think of what we should do first."

Kenta pulled Rori into a hug and kissed the top of her head. "Keep your lies in order around your dad," he told her. "He likes to question everything you say now."

"I know," Rori groaned. She patted Kenta on the back before she hopped down the stairs to help Morgan and Will with the dogs.

It didn't take long to tear the table cloth from the German Sheppard's mouth. Rori sat down next to a panting Morgan. "Well that was fun," she laughed.

"This is some party," Morgan smiled as he glanced around. "How did you convince your dad to keep his cool as people run around his pristine backyard?"

"I told him that I'll clean everything up like last time," Rori sighed.

"It this how you would spend Fourth of July in California?"

Rori shook her head. "Mom and I would go to Monterey and stay in a beach front hotel. Sometimes the Kayashima's would join us, but it was always something the two of us would do together."

Morgan nodded. Before his dad dies, the two of them would make special trips together. "It's cool how close you were to your mom," he told her.

"Do you think I'll ever be that close to my dad?" she asked as she pulled her knees up to her chest. She looked at her dad as he sat back in a chair talking to Kenta's parents.

"You don't think you're already there?" Morgan asked.

Rori rested her chin on her knees and shrugged. "I think there are things holding us back from being close," she said looking at the ground.

"What do you mean?" Morgan asked.

Rori shrugged and dropped a hand onto the green, lush, grass. She ripped some of the blades from the ground and looked at them with a small smile. She let out a small sigh. "Don't worry about it."

A large shrill scream came from the direction of Kyle and Davis. Rori looked up and saw a lit firework coming her way. Morgan jumped up and pulled Rori backwards out of the way effortlessly. The flying spinner exploded and fell to the ground a few feet from Rori and Morgan.

Morgan lifted her up and the two watched as the grass ignited. Rori watched the small fire in a daze. It wasn't a big deal, but it had landed right where Rori had been sitting. The only things she could think was _why me?_

Dave jogged over with a hose and sprayed water on the small patch of grass. He looked at Kyle. "You couldn't help yourself, could you?" he asked bitterly. He looked at his daughter in worry. "Are you okay?"

Rori nodded slowly and quickly shifted back into her bubbly self. "No harm, no foul. I'm going to go grab a water bottle and sit inside for a moment," she chirped.

Rori ran up to the patio and disappeared into the house. Kimi Kayashima looked at Dave before walking into the house. Morgan glanced at the senior agent. "Is everything all right with Rori?" he asked. "She seems distracted."

"I don't think she slept last night," Dave said as he signaled Hotch to turn off the water. "Kimi will talk to her and she'll be out in a few minutes."

Dave was right about Rori being tired. Like the younger children, Rori need a power nap. She slept until Kenta came into her room to wake her up at dinner time.

"Are you okay?" Dave asked as she sat down next to him. He slid a plate of steak, potato salad, and corn on the Cobb.

Rori nodded. "I'm just tired." She smiled. "I haven't been sleeping very well.'

"Something bothering you?" Dave asked as he cut at his medium rare steak.

"No, I think it's just too hot in my room. I'll bring a fan up and sleep with one less blanket to see if that helps."

Dave nodded, although a part of him whispered that she wasn't telling him the truth. He promised Rori that he wouldn't pry.

As soon as everyone was finished, Rori brought the fireworks to the front of the house where there was no grass to burn. Garcia and JJ helped set up buckets of water for firework disposal. Kyle, Hotch, and Morgan were given lighters for when the show started.

Rori brought out her cello and bow and stood between Kenta and Kaoru. "Before we immerse ourselves in firework on this fine evening, Kaoru and I wrote a song for this little shindig. Kenta is being a true sweetheart and is helping me not make a fool of myself."

The group laughed as Kenta blushed in the porch light. Kimi walked over to Jack and handed him a tambourine. Jack ran over to Rori and stood in front of her. "And let's not forget my best buddy Jack."

"Why aren't you playing your violin?" Dave asked. That was Rori's primary instrument when she wasn't attached to the piano in the living room.

"Because this song has a cello part and not a piano part. I'm also the only one who knows how to play a cello," Rori answered simply as Kenta pulled a deck chair over.

Everyone clapped as the quartet got ready to play. Jack shook the tambouring out of time but no one seemed to care. Rori and Kaoru's song was patriotic and jovial. It lightened the mood as the sun went down and it helped set the night up perfectly.

As the musical performance drew to a close, it was time to open the sparklers. Hotch helped Jack write his name in the sky while Garcia and JJ got Henry set up on the lit porch so that he could watch the colorful smoke bombs. Kukai, the twins father, listened to Reid's lengthy history lesson on the use of celebratory fireworks, and Morgan twitched in growing anticipation for the much more showy explosives.

Rori sat down next to her brother and watched Jack. Kyle looked at her. "When are we going to California?" he asked. "You said we would."

He was referring to a conversation they had when they first were getting to know each other. Rori was going to California for a month, and had invited Kyle along.

"Soon, things are still in the air right now, and they need to be sorted out before I can arrange the whole thing," Rori said as she messed with a charm that hung around her neck. She looked at the sky.

Dave sat down in front of them. "What are you two talking about?" he asked eyeing them suspiciously.

Rori dropped her necklace and smiled innocently. "California, I've always wanted to see the fireworks at Crissy Field."

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: Wow, I feel bad for not updating sooner. Don't hate me, please! I'm just kind of in writing slump I guess. I'll bounce back! I promise. A special thank you to Hxchick who looked this over before I posted.

_**Important News: 1.)**_ The month of August is going to be full of changes. I'm going back and working on editing and rewriting _The Death Card_ so that the material is more like what I'm posting at the moment. So I'll be keeping people posted on that as well. Check it out when you get the chance. You may like the changes you see.

2.) Ren Kayashima can now be your friend on Facebook. I know that many people are concerned about sharing info. Don't worry about that. I'm not saying people have to follow me there. I created the account to talk with several people on that also created separate accounts. I'll be posting links and a lot more updates there. If you don't want to do that, I also have a twitter and tumblr. Mostly because I get really bored.

Drop me a review because I know you want to.

Shane


	4. Chapter 4

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

_**Shout Outs: Dyallon: Here you go the shout outs are back. I kind of missed writing them. I just am so eager to get a chapter out.**_

_**Kimd33: You'll slowly start to find out what's going on with Rori. There are several reasons, but only one is the main plotline.**_

_**P95000: I can't comment on some of the event that are about to play out, but they're important to the plotline.**_

_**Booksandmusic97: I have a Facebook and a twitter that always has my chapters posted on it. If you aren't getting alerts feel free to try those. If not you can let me know if you want a PM every time it's posted.**_

_**Nebula2: Thanks for talking with me about the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one. It's not 'fluffy', but it's important for later chapters. Thanks for telling me what you know about fishing.**_

0o0o0o0

Chapter Four:

July 16th, 2011

Dave sat quietly in the driver's seat of his SUV. The radio had been turned off two hours ago, and not a sound had come from the teen sleeping in the passenger seat. Dave slid a glance over to Rori momentarily. Out of habit, he would check to make sure she was all right. Too much had happened in the past year, and Dave felt himself constantly looking at his daughter as he wondered what would happen this time.

The past week had been busy. Dave went to Cincinnati to find a girl who had gone missing, and the entire time Rori stayed locked up in the house. She would text him in the morning, and call him at night. This was what she did every day he was away with home, so that wasn't what was unusual. As Rori talked, she didn't sound right. She was talking to him, but her answers weren't as detailed and she didn't sound excited about her day.

Garcia noticed it too. She demanded that Dave do something. When he came back from Ohio, he set up a plan for father/daughter bonding trip. Kyle was hanging out with his friends, and the twins were in New York with their parents.

He woke up Rori at four in the morning and told her to pack a bag for the weekend. They would be returning Monday morning. Dave packed up the dog and helped his sleep-deprived daughter get into the car. Before driving off, he made sure Rori was wrapped comfortably in her favorite blanket

Dave liked his cabin for many reasons. It was his. It was secluded, which meant it was extremely quiet. Concrete skyscrapers were replaced by a more natural kind; the kind with bark and leaves. His cabin was reserved for his family. He didn't bring friends or invite co-workers. The cabin had become a place for Rori and Dave to bond. Since spring, they had been to the cabin three times, and it had recently been vacated by his sister and her family. Dave thought about joining them, but again he had to rush off to stop a criminal. He regretted not sending Rori to meet them. It would have gotten her out of the house.

He was determined to find out what was bothering his daughter. Then he would help her with it. That was something dads did. He needed to help her if something was wrong.

Dave pulled to a stop in front of his cabin and let out a content sigh. As he turned off the car, he looked at Rori. He reached over and gently shook her shoulder. "Rori, we're here," he said quietly.

Rori shifted and covered her face with her blanket. "Where are we?" she mumbled.

"We're at the cabin," Dave smiled.

Rori pushed her blanket down and blinked. "You shuffled me out of the house at four in the morning so that we can go to the cabin for a couple of days?" she grumbled.

Dave looked at Rori as he reached for the door. "You want to tell me why you're acting like this?" he asked.

Rori opened her door and slid of her sear. "I don't want to talk about it," she said. "I want to go back to sleep."

"Rori," Dave sighed. He slid out of the car and walked to the back. He let the dogs out of the trunk and headed to the door.

"Dad," Rori shouted. "Come on!"

Dave walked up the steps. He would have to put the SUV in the garage later. "I'll be waking you up again if you aren't up by ten," he said. "We are going to talk. Everyone can see that you aren't acting like yourself."

Rori grumbled as he father pushed the door open. She quickly jogged in and up the flight of stairs. Dave looked up at the ceiling and waited for the unmistakable sound of a door slamming. He sighed and left the house to get the car unloaded. He looked at the two fishing poles he had packed. He was going to teach Rori to fish, and it would give him the perfect opportunity to talk with her. He only hoped she would talk to him.

0o0o0o0

Rori followed her father as the two of them made their way to the lake. She looked at the two fishing poles and mentally groaned. She lifted up the tackle box she held in her hand and her lip curled back in distaste. The last thing she wanted to do was spend an afternoon drowning worms and reeling in fish.

"When fishing, won't the hook get caught on the rocks?" Rori asked. She'd seen a movie or two with a few fishing scenes, but they were comedies.

"I drove the boat over this morning," Dave said. By 'drove' he meant that he hooked a trailer that held the boat. There was a small road access to the lake, so Dave was able to get a boat to the water easily. Getting it in was the problem, but he had been doing it for years.

"How dig is this boat?" Rori asked curiously. She looked down at the tackle box again.

Dave shrugged. "It can fit the two of us," he said. "Just don't rock the boat."

Rori squinted her eyes as she was hit by a beam of hot light from the sun. She looked at the lake and searched for a boat. She spotted a small dock and saw a trailer with a boat. "I'm sure the dogs could fit too," she said with a nod. It was a pretty good sized boat.

"Mudgie will try to eat anything we catch," Rossi said. He was speaking from experience. He could only trust the dog when hunting. Fishing was another matter. "It's best if they stay in the cabin where it's air conditioned. They don't need to be constantly running around in this humidity."

"And we should be?" Rori asked.

Dave rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Have you ever been in a boat?"

Rori nodded. "Not for a long time though," she answered. "I think I was ten. I was in a summer camp while mom was helping on some case involving NCIS."

Dave wanted to ask about the case, but Rori didn't seem interested in talking about it. He looked over his shoulder and watched Rori as she dug the toe of her shoe into a small bed of pebbles. "Come on, let's get in the boat."

It wasn't long before Dave was maneuvering the boat to find the perfect fishing spot. Over the loud sound of the motor, Dave explained some fishing basics. "You can fish with bait or a lure. Using a lure involves you reeling in and recasting," Dave yelled.

Rori looked over the edge of the boat at the dark murky water. "We're supposed to catch fish in here?" she asked.

Dave nodded. "There have always been fish here. They swim in from the river and stay for food. They don't seem to leave the lake all too often."

Rori raised an eyebrow skeptically. She shook her head and pulled out her phone and plugged in a set of headphones.

"Put them away," Dave said darkly.

Rori grumbled, but slipped her phone back into her pocket. "Do I have to kill worms?" she asked. She actually didn't want to touch them, their slimy bodies creeped her out.

"No, I have some flavored marshmallow bait that you can use. I got it just in case you didn't want to use live bait," he said as he cut the motor. He knew she wouldn't want to touch worms or minnows. Manmade bait was the way to go.

"Marshmallow?" Rori asked curiously.

"Unless you want your stomach pumped, don't even think about eating it," Dave grunted. "Besides it doesn't smell appetizing. Fish love it though."

Rori's shoulders slumped and she rested her chin in the palm of her hand. There were several ways this day could go. They could catch some fish and discuss the sport. They could sit in silence and enjoy the companionship. Her dad could ask some questions that she didn't want to answer. All possibilities came with one conclusion: an awkward father/daughter activity.

Dave set up Rori's fishing pole. "Do you want to tell me why you've suddenly become a quiet, closed-off teenager?" he asked as he handed Rori a small plastic canister of manmade bait. He looked up at her as he started working on her fishing line. Rori held the bait in her hands and studied it carefully.

"I'm just having an off month. I'm not doing any voice acting right now," she said. "Boredom creates depression.

"Are you depressed?" Dave asked carefully.

"No," Rori shook her head. "That's the wrong word. I hate it when I can't find the right word. I just don't like being super bored. July is not the time to have nothing to do."

Dave nodded. "You're still writing for the paper. That takes some time."

"I don't like that the paper isn't going out weekly," Rori said. "I'm only able to publish one of several articles."

Dave shifted in his seat. Rori wrote articles based on their BAU's cases. She got permission from families to mention the victims. Dave enjoyed reading her pieces because the focus was never on the UnSub. She wrote about eh victims and the investigation.

"How are things with you and Kenta?" he asked changing the subject.

"All right," Rori answered. "His dad has him working at his security company on programming. He's not available during the week. He took me to Harry Potter seven, so that was nice." She shrugged as she unscrewed the canister. She looked at the neon pink, stinky, marshmallow like substance.

"Why don't you try and do something with Alice and Kaoru?" Dave suggested.

Rori snorted. "Oh yes, how I love to be a third wheel."

Dave looked at his daughter sternly. The teen kept her eyes on the bait in her hands. "There's something else bothering you."

Rori dug her pinky into the pink fluff and pulled a small bit out. "Eleven days," she said sadly. She set the canister down on the bottom of the boat and started to roll the bait into a small ball.

"What?" Dave asked.

"Eleven days until the twenty-eighth," Rori explained. "That would mean three years have passed since mom died."

Dave stopped working on getting the poles set up and let out another sigh. How had he not seen this? "Rori-"

"Don't worry about it," Rori cut him off. She smiled weakly. "It just doesn't feel like it's been that long. I still think about her all the time."

Dave rubbed his hands on his pants and looked at her. "I'm sorry," Dave told her. "I wish that she could be here."

Rori nodded. "Me too," she said. "She held up the centimeter long pink ball. With a quick smile, she laughed. "So are we going to do this fishing thing or what?"

Dave smiled and picked up a pole and handed it to her. "Don't hesitate to talk to me, Rori. I can't help if I don't know what's going on."

Dave started to explain casting and what she should do is her bobber went below the water. He smiled when Rori started to get excited. She lost the first fish that snagged her line and had to start over. The two of them spent a couple of hours on the water just making a memory. He wanted Rori to remember days like this, not the day her mom died, or the day that she woke up in a hospital alone. He preferred to remember the good days at his work. The days they found the children, the days he stopped a killer from snuffing out one more light in the world. Those were the days that he remembered.

While the anniversary of her mother's death was coming up, and it did have her down, Rori's internalized conflict was not about her mom. She had to make a decision and she only hoped it was the right one. Another thing she had to ask herself was: should she get her dad involved, or leave him in the dark. Either way, Rori needed to come up with an answer quickly. She was running out of time.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: This wasn't fluff like I normally write. I'm bringing the plotline in earlier because of the timing of everything. The song that inspired the piece was actually 'Just Fishin' by Trace Atkins, but you wouldn't know it if you heard the song. It's very fluffy. While I would prefer that no one noticed Rori's odd behavior, we're dealing with a team of profilers, so nothing gets by them.

I hope you'll stay tuned for more of this story, and I'll see about getting something more bright out for you soon. Leave a review because you know I love to hear from you guys.

Shane


	5. Chapter 5

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Five:

July 20th, 2011

Dave stared at the whiteboard in front of him. The BAU had been called to Seattle to find a killer that was targeting blonds in their late teens. He kept thinking about Rori and Kyle locked up in his air conditioned home. It would be close to one in the morning there, so they were probably asleep by now.

His phone rang and he answered it on the second ring. He didn't even register the distinct ring tone. He simply knew that it was ringing. "Rossi," he answered curtly.

"Wow," Rori spoke. He could hear the surprise in her voice and he knew that he had answered his phone the wrong way. "This case must really have you troubled. You didn't even tell me where you were going this time." This time she was disappointed.

"I'm in Seattle," Dave sighed. He mentally started counting down to what he knew would be Rori's response. _Five, four, three, two, one…_

"Oh! Say hello to Josh and Justin for me. I'm sure you'll be able to grab dinner with them or something," Rori stated. She was referring to Dave's twin nephews who worked in the Seattle area.

"Rori, I can't talk long," Dave said tiredly. They were about to move on to Portland. A body fitting their MO and specific signature was found in an alley close to Portland State University. Reid was interested in visiting a café that had a series of signatures on a wall, one of which was Neil Gaiman.

"Fine," Rori said quickly. "I just wanted to say good night."

Dave looked at the ground. This case had his feathers ruffled. The case came three days ago while he was still at his cabin. Just when Rori was opening up, his phone rang. The same way it had many times before. Rori shrugged it off and said that she would be leaving for California on the twenty-first. Dave wished that he could be there to take her to the airport. Instead, Kimi Kayashima would do that.

Rori, Kyle, and the Kayashima twins would be staying with the twins' older sister in San Francisco. Dave had her address just in case he needed to find her, or in most cases, if Garcia needed to find her. The technical analyst now had a special folder on her desktop dedicated to Rori's schedule and her whereabouts. Too often, she needed to find her.

"What time does your plane leave?" Dave asked. He knew the answer, but he wanted to talk to her just a bit more.

"Nine in the morning," Rori answered. "Kimi will keep the dogs and cats until you get back from your case," she explained. Dave heard her yawn and he looked at the clock. It was officially one in the morning back in Virginia.

"Rori, go to bed, you have a long day tomorrow," Dave told her. Most of her day would be spent in a seat on a plane. Dave had tried to get the group into first class and succeeded. He had become spoiled with the BAU jets space, and he wouldn't want let Rori sit in cramped seating. Not for six hours. "Call me when you arrive at SFO."

Rori yawned again. "I can do that," she forced out. "I have to call Pen too, so you'll be the second person to know when I arrive."

"No," Dave corrected. "I'll be the first."

"Whatever you say, dad," Rori stated. "Don't worry, you'll get the guy. You always do."

0o0o0o0

The next day Rori stood in the domestic terminal of San Francisco International Airport. It had been three years since she last stepped foot in SFO. She hadn't even been in the Bay Area for three years. It wasn't a trip she had been eager to take, but it was one that she needed to. She needed a break from Quantico and the BAU. She hoped that a trip to her hometown would help her get away from the trouble that seemed to find her.

She looked at her brother for some sort of guidance, but he was too interested in the latest David Rossi book to be of any help. He turned a page and continued to absorb the words that filled the page of the true crime book.

"I hate to spoil the ending," Rori said dully. "But, he catches the guy," she smirked as she made her way to baggage claim.

Kenta and Kaoru each took a side and the three of them walked in sync as Kyle dragged his feet. He completely ignored his sister's remark and continued to read. Kyle was going to let the Californians take the lead. After all, this was their territory, and it was best for them to show the way. "So, what's your sister like?" he asked the twins as he closed the book.

"Kono's twenty-one like you," Kaoru stated. "She's very free-spirited like our mom. It's hard to imagine that she's majoring in Poly Sci."

"We always thought she would go to an art school like Mom," Kenta shrugged as he looked over his shoulder.

Rori was looking at something on her phone as she walked through the strings of people. She quickly left her travel companions behind as she pulled up her dad's contact information. Her call went straight to voicemail.

"Hey Dad, I just wanted to let you know that we didn't die in a horrible freak accident. I hope you're close to getting the bad guy. Call me."

Rori sighed and hung up. Penelope picked up in the middle of the second ring. "Rori Anne Morre-Rossi, why didn't you call me sooner!" she stated angrily. "Your plane landed twenty minutes ago."

"Sorry," Rori laughed. "I was just trying to wait until I was actually off the plane. I had to call Dad first, too."

"He's in the middle of giving the profile," Garcia explained.

"I figured as much," Rori sighed. "Does this mean you're closer to catching the guy?"

"'Fraid not chicklet," Garcia groaned. "This freak is crazy good at running."

"Sounds ominous," Rori mumbled. She hoped that her dad would be okay. "I hope you guys catch him soon."

"You and me both," Garcia said as she started to type on her computer.

"Rori!" A woman called from across the airport.

Rori grinned when she found who she was looking for since her arrival. "Pen, I got to go. I'll talk to you later. Bye!"

Rori hung up and jogged over to the tall Japanese woman. Her hair had been bleached slightly so that it was a light auburn. Like her brothers, her hair was very straight, but she chose to style it a little bit more with several layers and today it was pinned up in loose bun.

"Rori," the woman smiled. "It's been too long."

Rori eagerly stole a hug. "Kono," she sighed happily. "I can't believe we haven't seen each other for a year and a half."

Kono pulled Rori away from her and looked her over. "How are you? The twins tell me you've had a rough year."

Rori looked at the ground unpleasantly. "That's an understatement," she grumbled. "I've been kidnapped twice and shot. Not the greatest of times."

"Well, we'll fix that while you're here," Kono said as she started looking around. "Now, where are those troublesome brothers of mine?"

Rori turned and realized that she had walked off without them. "I don't know, but my brother is with them."

"You have to tell me all about him. Emails hardly cut it. Besides, it'll be nice to have someone my age in our little troop," Kono smirked as she looked at Rori. "I want to know how Kenta's treating you. Mom tells me you've started dating, but my lousy little brother won't spill the beans. Kenta-kun is such a snob, but not fair Rori-chan."

"Kono," Rori whined as she started to blush.

0o0o0o0

Dave turned on his phone and was notified of a new voicemail. They had presented the profile to Portland Police. He still hadn't had time to sleep. The entire BAU was taking turns. This killer was smart and they weren't about to let another person die because they were too tired to move on. Seaver and Reid were currently at the cheap hotel down the street sleeping for a couple years.

His phone rang and for a moment he thought it was Rori. He knew it couldn't be. The ringtone wasn't right. When Rori called, 'My Funny Valentine' would play. He looked at the display and sighed.

"What do you have, Garcia," he asked.

"She hung up on me," Garcia said. "I understand she's on vacation, but to be so abrupt. What have you been teaching your daughter, David Rossi? I want Polite Rori back right now!"

"Rori called?" Dave sighed. He was fairly certain he only had one daughter. Then again, he never bothered to check in with the other ex's.

"She said that she called you. I told her that you were giving the profile to Portland PD."

Dave leaned against a desk tiredly. "That's probably the voicemail I have. You called before I could listen to it."

"Tell Rori that she isn't allowed to hang up on me so quickly," Garcia pouted.

"I'll be sure to scold her properly," Dave smiled as he rolled his eyes. "She's just excited to be back in California. She left some close friend behind when she moved to Virginia. Did she at least say bye?"

There was a pause on the line and Dave knew that Rori would never just hang up on **the** Penelope Garcia. "Yes," Garcia drew out slowly. "But, she said it so quickly. It might as well have been absent," she added.

"I'm sure it wasn't intentional," Dave said.

"I didn't get a chance to ask you before you left for Seattle," Garcia stated changing the subject slightly. "But, did you find out what's wrong with her?"

"She just down because the anniversary of Chris' death is coming up," Dave answered. "That's why I let her go to California without much of a fight. She needs to do something fun. Perhaps reconnecting with old friends will distract her enough until the twenty-eighth passes."

He heard Garcia hum in realization sunk in. "I guess I could forgive her unusual behavior for the time being," she said. Dave knew that she was smiling.

"That's very gracious of you," Dave said as he held back a chuckle. "I think I should give Rori a call."

"Then get back to catching the bad guys," Garcia cheered.

"Good bye, Garcia," Dave said before hanging up. He called his voicemail and listened to Rori's message. He couldn't help but smile the minute she started talking.

"_Hey Dad, I just wanted to let you know that we didn't die in a horrible freak accident. I hope you're close to getting the bad guy. Call me."_

Rossi called his daughter but got her voicemail after a few rings. She was probably walking and had her phone on silent. Her phone rarely was off vibrate because of school, but she had recently gotten back into the habit of making sure the ringer was on. Of course this didn't always work.

"Rori, call me tonight. I want to know what you did on your first day back in the city. Keep me posted on what you'll be doing because I know you don't have a concrete plan."

Dave hung up as Hotch walked over. "Talking to Rori?" Hotch asked as he looked up from his phone. He had just gotten off the phone with Jessica. He got the chance to talk to Jack before he started eating his waffles.

"Her voicemail," Dave shrugged. "Are we going to meet with the victim's parents?" he asked.

Hotch nodded. This was the part of the job that every BAU agent dreaded. They had to figure out why Cassie Myers had become a victim. There was more than opportunity involved. Now, they needed to find out more about their latest victim and compare it to what they knew about the others. That would be how they caught this UnSub.

0o0o0o0

Rori sat in the backseat of Kono's Toyota Prius. She looked out the window as she started to remember her time growing up in the city by the bay. She spent a lot of time at the Pier with the twins as a child, and walked in The Presidio with her mother on the weekends. Monthly trips to the beach were a must, and she enjoyed every minute of it.

0o0

_September 16__th__, 2002_

"_Dan! Give it back!" a ten year old Kenta yelled as his twin tried to console a sobbing nine-year-old Rori. _

_Another young boy stood a few feet away on the school playground. He had sandy blond hair and tan skin from spending the entire summer playing cops and robbers with the neighborhood kids. He held an old leather book close to his chest. "Why should I?" the boy sneered. "This is recess, not story time. There aren't even picture in this books."_

"_It's not your book!" Kenta said. "It's Rori's, and she crying. Give it back." The little Japanese boy stamped his foot in frustration. He stood there attempting to give the other child a glare the like of which his mother would give him daily. _

_A small timid blond girl walked over and intruded on the argument. "Dan, give Rori her book back," she said shyly. She looked at the ground as she messed with the bottom of her pink pleated skirt._

_Dan turned on her and the girl winced and shrunk away. "Stay out of this, Joy!"_

_Christine Morre had come to pick up her daughter early from school for a doctor's appointment. She didn't expect to find a battle among her daughters friends. She immediately rushed over to Kaoru and her crying nine-year-old. The school secretary who was escorting her to the playground started to protest, but stopped when she realized what was going on._

"_Honey, what's wrong?" she asked as Kaoru stepped away from Rori._

"_Dan t-to-took my b-book," Rori stuttered as she rubbed the endless tears from her eyes. "Sherlock was going up against Moriarty, and Dan just took it!" _

_Kenta was about to push Dan when a yard duty teacher stepped in. She blew her whistle shrilly and both boys snapped their heads in her direction. They stepped away from each other, and Dan still held the book close to his body._

_Christine picked her daughter up and looked at the blond boy disapprovingly. "Daniel Paul," she began coolly. "What would your father say if I told him that you were tormenting your little friend in the school yard?" she asked. She held out an open hand as Rori hugged her neck tightly. The girl buried her tear stained face in Christine's satin blouse," Give me Rori's book back please. I gave it to her for her birthday, and that book is very special to her."_

_Daniel reluctantly handed the book to Christine. She smiled at Kenta. "Thank you for trying to help Rori, but next time tell a teacher."_

"_But then I'll be a tattle tell," Kenta argued. "I don't want to be a tattle tell."_

0o0

Rori blinked as she realized Kenta has placed a hand on her knee. "Hey," he smiled. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Rori nodded and smiled. There had been a time where Kenta and Rori didn't get along at all. However, their parents were adamant about them spending time together. Rori and Kaoru never seemed to have a problem because they were both into music. The two of them played together all the time and attended music recitals together. It wasn't until Kenta and Rori were placed in the same first grade classroom together that the two actually became friend. She swallowed before she answered. "I was just remembering our elementary school days with Dan and Joy."

Kenta snorted. "Dan? Why would you be thinking about that prick?" he asked.

Rori took Kenta's hand and interlaced their fingers. "He wasn't all bad," she sighed as she leaned into Kenta's shoulder. "Sure, he was a bit troubled, but we were still friends at one point in our lives. It's not like I'm going to try and find him and talk to him. He hurt me Kenta and a lot of other people too. I can't easily forget that."

Rori pulled her shoulder bag into her lap and pulled her phone out to find a voicemail from her dad. She listened to it and smiled. "I have to call my dad, she said as she hit her dad's number on her favorites list. His phone went to voicemail again and Rori rolled her eyes.

"Tag, you're it. Kono's taking us to her place to drop off our stuff before we go to a teen center to hopefully meet up with some old friends. I'll call again later tonight. Hopefully I'll be able to reach you."

"Jeez," Kono whistled. She met Rori's gaze in the rearview mirror for a second before looking back at the road. "Is it always this hard to reach your dad?" she asked as they pulled into the heart of San Francisco.

"Depends on the case," Kyle said. Dave was like a stepfather, so he called to check in with the agent too. He had been living in the Rossi household long enough to know how things worked. Sometimes, phone tag was the best way of communicating with David Rossi. He couldn't easily take a personal call when he was chasing a serial killer.

0o0o0o0

The Embarcadero Community Center was full at three in the afternoon on a warm July day. What had once been an old factory had been converted to a community center. The floors had been divided by age group and interest. The third floor housed the teen center. There was a media room, an art room, some study rooms, and anything else a teenager would need to keep themselves entertained and off the streets.

Kono and Kyle signed everybody in on the small clipboard that had been set up. Everyone had to check in; it was part of the center's policy. Most kids signed in under a fake name like 'Bruce Banner' and 'Hank McCoy'. Rori recalled signing in as Nancy Drew.

Kono looked up to find Rori running over to a seating area where a short, blond, girl was lounging.

"Joy!" Rori greeted happily.

The blond stood up from her spot in an arm chair. Three guys around a pool table in the back turned their attention to the newcomers. They abandoned their game and decided to watch the current exchange.

"Rori!" the blond woman exclaimed as the two old friends hugged. "You finally made it back to California."

Rori let out a sigh of relief. Seeing Joy for the first time in three years made her body feel lighter. Joy was Rori's only close friend in California before her mom's death. Joy had grown up across the street from Rori and the twins, who lived next door.

"I'm so sorry it's taken this long to get back," Rori apologized as she squeezed her friend tightly.

Joy backed up. "You're here," she smiled. "Isn't that what matters. Now, you have to tell me all about Virginia."

"But, I want to talk about you," Rori said. She had been very discreet when it came to the past year in Virginia. Joy didn't spend a lot of time on the computer, and from what Rori knew, Joy didn't have a cell phone. Calling the landline at her house would have been an option until Joy's father had the number changed a year ago.

Joy wore a light sweater and jeans even in the ninety degree weather. Being close to the water, it rarely got above one hundred degrees unlike other parts of the Bay Area. "I'm okay. I'm going to UC Santa Cruz in September. Mrs. Hibler actually got my butt in gear and I graduated with a three point five."

Rori pumped her fist in the air. "Go Banana Slugs!" she cheered mockingly. She laughed and hugged Joy once more.

Joy was held back a year after she missed too much of her freshman year when she came down with a horrible case of Mono. Mrs. Hibler was Rori's freshman year AP English teacher. She taught regular courses for juniors and seniors. She motivated a lot of students who had lost hope in school.

"You go to school in D.C don't you?" Joy asked. She knew she lived in D.C with her aunt, but it had been hard to stay in touch with Rori.

Rori nodded. "Georgetown. I go there with Kenta," she said. "We're kind of dating now."

"Kind of?" Joy asked. The two of them were always talking about the ideal guy and Kenta didn't even pop up on Joy's radar. She never once thought that Rori and Kenta would step out of the friend zone. She pulled the sleeves of her sweater over her hands as she fell back into the arm chair.

"Well we are, we just haven't had a lot of alone time," Rori said as she lowered herself into an open couch. She pulled her phone out of her bag and checked for any messages from her father.

Kenta and Kaoru walked over and everyone greeted each other again. Rori looked over at the older members of their party. "Kyle, come meet Joy. I went to school with her," Rori lowered her voice. "I found out I have a brother this year. He's pretty kick ass."

"Aren't you forgetting that you also went to school with me?" a voice came from the area of the pool tables. It was challenging and held a bit of contempt.

Rori's eyes widened and she jumped up quickly. Everyone's attention was drawn to the three guys standing by the closest pool table. Kono pulled Kyle back as he tried to move closer to his sister. She started whispering in his ear. Kyle nodded as the two took the backseat on the situation that was quickly unraveling. Kenta clenched his fist as Kaoru pulled Joy to the side.

The middle man held a stick in one hand as he leaned back on his heels. He had sandy blond hair and sharp blue eyes. He was in black baggy jeans and a black t-shirt. A sneer made his face crooked as he looked at Rori.

"Dan," she forced out. She swallowed as she tried to think of something else to say.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: I know! This chapter is super long. I apologize, but it was hard to find a good stopping point. I hope you all enjoyed it. This past week has been really cool. I skyped for almost three hours with possibly the coolest person I know in the fanfiction universe, even after I got a sort of hurtful review.

I know that the BAU isn't in this chapter a lot, but I'll try to include the gang more in the next chapter. I can't force the story at hand, but I can try and alter it to fit the BAU. They get involved quickly anyway, so this chapter is probably one of only a couple.

Drop me a review letting me know what you think.

Ren


	6. Chapter 6

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Six:

July 21st, 2011 Portland, Oregon

Dave fell onto his hotel mattress and let out a groan. Their UnSub was traveling. Another body was found in Ashland. If they didn't find out who was doing this, their UnSub could possibly make it all the way to San Francisco. His mind immediately switched to Rori, and how she was running around the City with her brother and best friends. Could she be in danger again?

Dave quickly scolded himself. He couldn't think like that. Rori didn't fit the victim type, and she was traveling in a group. Kyle was there, so there was always a second source for information. Dave always knew what was going on with Rori, and given the past year, he was entitled to the role of protective father. It was a role he took very seriously.

There was a knock on Dave's door and he tiredly sat up. He slowly slipped off the bed and opened his door a few seconds later. Hotch stood in the hallway. "Sorry, Dave," he said. "It looked like you and I will be driving to Ashland."

"Can't I meet you there?" Dave asked tiredly. He needed sleep. There wasn't any place he wanted to be more than that hotel bed.

"You can nap in the car," Hotch said. "The rest of the team is going to stay here and we'll see if the body is a copycat. If it is, we'll come back to Portland. If not, the team will meet us in Ashland."

"Our guys hasn't killed this fast," Rossi nodded. "That is unless he's escalating, but that's a lot of ground to cover." Dave sighed and grabbed his unopened go bag. "Let's go."

0o0

The car ride to Ashland was quiet until Hotch brought up a common topic between the two fathers: their kids. "Jack and Jessica finished that Pokémon game Rori gave him," Hotch smiled.

Dave's head rested against the headrest, and his eyes were closed. "Rori thought he would like it. I know Rori played nonstop when she bought hers. She said she's been playing Pokémon since she was a kid. She has a lot of free time on her hands right now. I think she finds it unsettling."

"That's why I asked her to babysit Jack during the day," Hotch said. "She was so fidgety the last time she was at the BAU. Everyone could see it."

"Rori is constantly doing something. She was supposed to take a summer course, but she dropped it as soon as finals were over for spring. She didn't think she could recover if she was running to class," Dave explained. "Now, I'm starting to wonder if I should have convinced her to keep the class. At least she wouldn't be really bored."

"Isn't that why she's in California?" Hotch asked. "Spend some much needed time out of the house, bond with Kyle, hang out with old friends."

Dave nodded. "Do you ever wonder if you're doing things right by Jack?"

"All the time," Hotch said. "When Hayley died, I wondered why I did this job. I asked myself if I was helping my son as I ran around searching for psychopaths. I strongly considered taking that retirement package, but then I thought about how every time I catch another bad guy, I'm making this place safe for Jack."

"I missed out on seventeen years of Rori's life, and I'm still missing out on her life now," Rossi sighed. "I should have been able to go to California with her, but instead, I'm doing this job."

"No one said it was easy having a family in this job," Hotch said. "Rori doesn't seem to mind. She's old enough to know what you're facing. She's seen it wither her own eyes, more than once."

"Jack isn't old enough to understand what a serial killer is, but he knew that Foyet was a bad guy," Dave looked at the FBI ring on his right hand before he ran a hand over his tired face. He took a deep breath before he looked out the window.

Hotch nodded and wanted to change the subject. "Rori's probably running around Pier 39, or she's on a date with Kenta," Hotch smiled as he merged into a new lane of traffic.

"I hope that all their doing," Dave grumbled. "I haven't been home lately, so those two could have started something."

This made Hotch laugh. "Why can't you trust Rori's judgment when it comes to her relationship with Kenta?"

Dave started to grumble, but conceded. Rori was bright, and she wasn't the kind of person to jump into something without considering most, if not all, options. He was just being a paranoid father, and he wondered if that was what he needed to do.

Dave considered retiring again after Rori got shot. He didn't want to lose her and after she had been attacked again, he had had enough. However, Rori had somehow picked up on his thoughts, and scolded him for a couple hours about leaving the BAU. She wouldn't let him because it was a job someone had to do, and he was one of the best.

She was so much like her mother that her stern talking to reminded Dave of the day his divorce with Christine was finalized. Christine had told him that the FBI needed him. Almost six years after his divorce, he went into early retirement and toured the worlds with his books.

If he had known about Rori, he would have spent those ten years trying to bond with his daughter. Maybe had been a part of Rori's life, he never would have returned to the BAU. Dave tried to think about how much the BAU meant to him. Was it a blessing in disguise that Rori didn't appear until a year ago? The BAU and Rori were his life now, and he hoped that nothing changed that. He didn't know what he would do if either one disappeared from his small world.

"I'll make things up to Rori when she gets back from California," Dave smiled. His phone began to ring and he sighed before answering. "What's going on, Garcia?" he asked.

"I got the 911 call sent to me by Ashland Police," Garcia spoke up. "You'll want to hear this."

"How bad is it?" Hotch asked. He could hear something in Garcia's voice. It was the same sound that she had in her voice when she had seen yet another horror on one of her many screens.

"The dispatcher had to be sedated after she couldn't breathe," Garcia groaned. "After listening to this message, I sure as hell don't blame her."

"Can you play it for us Garcia?" Dave asked.

The 911 call put both Hotch and Dave in somber moods. The sobbing girl on the phone was begging for someone to come help her. Unfortunately, the police couldn't get to her in time. Police found her in an alley butchered.

Both agents were thinking the same thing. If this was their killer, than he was moving fast, and it wouldn't be long until another body showed up. They both hoped it was someone who found there was a serial killer and decided to try and get away with murder. It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to do something like that. But the police always caught them, and now the BAU was involved.

0o0o0o0

_May 26__th__, 2006_

_Rori, now thirteen, sat in her mother's office as she and a fourteen-year-old Dan played a game of chess. The board was made of glass with frosted pieces to represent traditional black and clear glass for white. Rori moved her castle to steal on of Dan's frosted knights._

Christine entered the room and smiled when she saw her daughter and best friend playing their favorite game. She had wanted her daughter to have a relatively normal life, and only allowed the prodigy to advance one grade so that she could be at the same level as the twins and Dan. They had been friend ever since second grade.

"Hey Mom," Rori greeted. "How was the meeting?"

Christine sighed as she took a seat. "Pretty basic, we were getting our papers in order, so we don't past the SOL."

Dan looked up as he took Rori's queen with his remaining knight. "Shit out of Luck?" he asked. Even if his father was a paralegal, it didn't mean he paid any attention to the legal terminology.

"Statute of Limitations," Christine corrected as she kicked her heels under her desk. She hated her heels, but she always had to look her best at work. It was her work attire that had been the basis for encouraging Rori to dress up at least once a week. So far, Rori had yet to complain.

"Well," Rori began as she moved her bishop, "If you don't file before the Statute of Limitations is up, then you kind of are shit out of luck, so it works both ways doesn't it?"

Christine held back a laugh. "That's very true," she nodded as she pulled up her company email. "Who's winning?"

"Dan," Rori sighed as Dan snatched her king off the board quickly and snickered.

"You really are terrible at chess," Dan laughed. "Do you even try?" he asked with a smirk.

"Dan, be nice," Christine scolded. "Your dad is just outside this office helping James with his case, do you need me to call him in here and tell him that you're being rude."

Dan crossed his arms as Rori stood up. She grabbed her backpack next to the door and came back to the table that Christine used when her desk wasn't big enough. Dan leaned forward as Rori began unpacking her books and binders. "What we aren't going to play another game?" he asked with a smirk.

Rori looked him over the edge of her glasses and just rolled her eyes. "I have homework," she said. "You should do yours too."

Dan snorted. "You mean you didn't finish?" he asked. "Homework is super easy."

Rori bit her lip to keep herself from blurting out something crude. She found herself doing that a lot around Dan lately. She grabbed her favorite purple pen and opened her English textbook. "We don't have the same teachers," she said simply, hoping it would get him off her back. She started copying down the vocabulary before she scanned the text for the definition. She could have easily looked in the back at the glossary, but then she wouldn't be doing the assignment, and she wasn't comfortable with feeling like a cheat.

"They all teach the same thing," Dan stated. "You're doing vocab for Mrs. Eaton's class, right? You know you can find the definition in the back."

Rori dropped her pen halfway through her definition of 'Poignant'. "Dan, I really need to work on homework," she sighed. "Can't you just read a book or something?"

"I don't have a book," Dan stated. He didn't read all that much. He was more into video games.

Christine had been listening to the exchange between the eighth graders as she typed up an email to the defense attorney on one of her cases. Lately, Rori had started ranting about Dan's superiority complex and narcissistic personality disorder (it was at that point that Christine had taken her daughter's David Rossi books away). She rambled on about how Dan had gone so far as to insult her intelligence, and Rori hated herself for not being honest with her friend. Christine knew it was only a matter of time before Rori snapped and lashed out at Dan.

She watched as Rori dropped the latest Harry Potter book on the table in front of Dan. Christine recalled doing that to Dave a couple times when he wouldn't stop talking about his latest case. All she had to do was place a plate of steak of mashed potatoes in front of him, and she got a half hour of peace.

"Just read the book, and leave me alone," Rori said bitterly.

_Dan looked at the book in disapproval. "I can't believe you actually read this stuff."_

_Rori dropped her pen again and sat up in her seat. Enough was enough. "Fine Dan, another game of chess, but when we finish, you leave me alone to do my homework."_

_Dan smiled triumphantly as he began to set the board up._

0o0o0o0

July 21st, 2011 San Francisco, California

Rori blinked when she realized that she wasn't in her mother's law office in one of the many skyscrapers it the City. She was still in the Embarcadero Teen center, and in front of her was someone she no longer knew.

"Well, you've all certainly changed," Dan laughed. "I mean Rori, look at you. What happened to the girl who wore the large glasses and kept her hair in a tight braid every day? The book worm that couldn't play a game of chess to save her life."

Rori grabbed the flap of her shoulder bad, and dug her hand into the bag. She pulled out her house keys and looked at the glass knight chess piece. It was frosted, and the only piece that didn't break all those years ago in her mother's office. Rori held onto it and turned it into a key chain. She held it up for Dan to see. "If I recall, I beat you when it counted," she said looking at him.

"Rori, you still have that?" Joy asked. She knew about Rori and Dan's fall out. A lot of people knew what happened between the two of them.

"That's because Rori and I had something special before she ruined it," Dan stated.

Kenta took a step forward unconsciously. "She just beat you in a game of chess," he growled. "Her mom had to take her to urgent care after you hit her. All because of a stupid game."

"Well, I guess some of us haven't changed," Dan scoffed as she shrugged. "Weak Kenta Kayashima is still trying to play the white knight."

Rori looked around and found the many San Francisco teens watching from their corners of the center. She was tired from already spending most of the day on an airplane, and her abdomen was starting to hurt. Her bullet wound looked like it healed, but she knew that the internal damage would take more than two months.

"This isn't the place to have a discussion like this," Kaoru said.

Rori put her keys back in her bag and made her way to the elevator. She winced when her side pulled. She paused for a moment before smiling at Kyle and Kono. "I'm going to get some much needed California air."

Kyle grabbed Rori's upper arm gently. He looked at her in worry. "Is everything all right?"

"Uh… Let me get back to you on that," she sighed.

Dan straightened up and watched as Rori looked at him. He watched her smile at his former friends and wave before walking away.

0o0

Sunset came quickly and Dan entered a deserted park. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he kicked his shoes off. He walked bare footed on the warm sand. He got within ten feet of the hunched over figure at the swing set.

"That's close enough Mr. Paul," Rori spoke up. She looked up from her hands as they rested in her lap. She pushed herself back and forth in the swing.

"What? You don't trust Miss Morre?" Dan asked mockingly. "I knew you couldn't avoid this park. It's too important. Just like the teen center."

"Remember when you and I planned to join the FBI together after college?" she asked. "You said that the two of you would be unstoppable as profilers. We were going to show the world whose boss, you said."

"I'm still going to get into the BAU," Dan said. "Are you saying you changed your mind about joining?"

"I changed my mind about a year ago when my life took an unexpected turn and changed," Rori said.

"Figures," Dan snorted. "You always change your mind. You changed your mind about me."

Rori narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm not that same kid anymore," she said coldly. "Before you insult me though, you better think carefully about the words you choose."

Dan stared at the Rori in front of him. She wasn't the same girl he used to steal books from in the school yard. This Rori was just like the one that showed up the last time they played chess. He actually felt good to see her again, but then he remembered what happened that day. The two of them never spoke again, and it made him angry.

"Well then, you'll be missing out while I take the glory," Dan grinned. "I'll be the next David Rossi."

Rori snorted and shook her head. She came to the park to think, and do one of the things she had been planning on doing for a long time. All she had to do was stand up and leave. Dan's presence kept her rooted to the spot. "Only two percent of applicant who apply to the FBI Academy gets accepted to training. You want to be the elite," she sighed. "The BAU isn't a joke, and you shouldn't act all high and mighty when it comes to something so serious. People work really hard to get into that unit. They don't just let you in."

"I'm going to get in," Dan said.

"Dan!" Rori shouted standing up. "The BAU isn't just a unit you can walk into. They have a hard job, and if they saw you right now… They'd never let you in. It's one to be determined to get in, it's completely something else to be a cocky SOB who thinks the can get everything they want.

"The BAU works in teams. They work together to catch the worst of the worst. You can't do that job. You aren't a team player, Dan. You've never been a team player.

"David Rossi works with five other people right now. SSA Aaron Hotchner is the team leader, and an excellent father. Derek Morgan is an expert on obsessional crimes, and he is always trying to find a way to make the people at the BAU smile after the cases they've seen. Dr. Spencer Reid had three Ph.D.'s and a lifetime of experiences that would make the fight with you look like child's play. JJ's coming back as their media liaison and has the ability to convince anyone that she's right. Penelope is their techie, and is possibly the best in the world. Those are the kind of people who work at the BAU. Not someone like you."

Rori took a breath and moved a hand to her abdomen. "I have to go," she winced. She pulled her keys out of her bag and unhooked the glass chess piece. "I came back to California to let go of all of this crap I've been holding on to," she said as she set the chess piece on the rubber seat of the swing. "It's been five years, and I'm ready to let go of my regret when it comes to you and I."

"How do you know about a team at the BAU Miss Morre?" Dan asked. When he said Rori's last name his voice was laced with venom and anger.

"My last name has changed since you last spoke with me," Rori said. "My name is Rori Anne Morre-Rossi. I found a family in the BAU after my mom died. They don't hurt me like you did."

"Rori!" Kenta's voice called from a distance.

"David Rossi is my dad, and trust me when I say this, you don't want his job. Let someone else confront the demons of humanity. The BAU is his life, and it's hard to find time for family. He makes it work, but you aren't him. Are you sure you want that kind of job? One where you have no life."

Rori turned her back on Dan and walked towards the street to meet Kenta. Dan walked over to the swing and picked up the key chain. He shook his head and stuffed the piece in his pocket.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: Another chapter has come and gone. I hope you guys liked it. It was fun to write once I finally pinned down the conversation between Rori and Dan.

Drop a review and let me know what you think.

Chit Chat on Author's Corner is about to host their second Profiler's Choice Awards. This means that several stories are going to start getting nominated. If you like a story a lot, you should check it out when the awards go live. Nominate some of your favorites for several categories, and who knows, maybe they'll win. The awards were a huge success last year.

Ren


	7. Chapter 7

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

_**Shout Outs: **__**Dyallon: **__**Again you were the first person to review. This time by IM. I love talking to you. And look the shout outs are back!**_

_**Kimd33: Dan is a jerk. I like creating Jerks. I needed there to be something that stood out about the trip. It couldn't be all fun and games. That's boring.**_

_**Nebula2: I'm glad my timing was perfect for the last update, but I'm sorry you had to wait this long for the next chapter. Thanks for giving me your opinion beforehand on the flashback.**_

_**P95000: I like writing bit between Dave and Hotch, it's always an experience. Glad you liked the two chapters. **_

0o0o0o0

Chapter Seven:

July 23, 2011 San Francisco, California 12:45 PM

Rori sat in a diner with Kono and Joy. The twins were taking Kyle back to the Pier while Rori had some girl time. They had been running around the City the entire time they had been there, but they never stayed in one place for very long. There was time to go back, and they still had the camping trip at Big Sur at the end of the trip. After lunch, the three women were headed to Union Square to shop until the dropped.

"So, when are you going to tell Kyle that the house next to ours is the one you grew up in?" Kono asked as she took a sip of her milkshake. She was in a black tank top and white shorts. She brushed her bangs out of the way and smiled.

"He already knows," Rori answered after swallowing a bit of her burger. "I'm taking him over tonight to meet mom's old secretary. Mrs. Norris bought the house after mom died, and she said that I could come anytime I liked."

"She lets me stay in the house occasionally," Joy nodded. There were times where she needed a quiet house. One where her parents weren't always screaming at each other. "When mom and dad start to fight, I just grab a bag and walk over. She helped me with my essays."

"Didn't she rent a room from your mom?" Kono asked remembering that the elderly woman had been living in the house next door since Rori was a baby.

Rori nodded. "Mrs. Norris moved in when her husband died. He was wealthy, and left her a fair amount of money and all of his businesses, but she got lonely and found a job as mom's secretary. She moved in while my mom was still pregnant with me."

"If she's rich than why was she a legal secretary?" Joy asked never hearing about Mrs. Norris being wealthy.

"It was the only she knew how to do," Rori remembered. "Mrs. Norris isn't the kind of woman who can sit on her hands and do nothing in a large house. She needed to do something."

Kono looked across the table at Joy. "So, when do you leave for Santa Cruz?" she asked with a large grin. University of California: Santa Cruz was a well-known party school. But as the oldest woman at the table thought about it, all colleges were like that at the right time, and certainly in the right place.

"I actually move in a couple weeks," Joy answered. "I got a job at a small clothing store down there. My friend works there, and another girl is leaving for New York at the time I move down there. I'll be staying with my friend until school starts, and then I'll move into a dorm."

"I think that's a great idea," Rori smiled as she bounced excitedly in her seat. She loved hearing that Joy had gotten into a University, and one that she had been looking at for a long time. "How excited was your mom when you told her you got accepted?"

Joy looked at the table and bit her lip. "She doesn't know," she whispered. "Neither does dad."

"How is that possible," Kono asked. Her mother found out every single school she had applied to back when she was a senior. "You've got to have your parents sign financial aid papers, and letters from the school come in the mail."

Rori shook her head. "It's not hard," She said. She was speaking from experience. Her Aunt Kate didn't find out about Rori ever applying to Julliard until Kimi mentioned casually that Rori turned the acceptance down. "Joy's father keeps meticulous tax records to ensure that the government isn't cheating him. All she would have to do is find his most recent tax return, copy it, forge her dad's signature, and turn it into the school. As to the acceptance letters, Joy collects the mail every day."

Joy nodded to confirm Rori's explanation. "I used the tax return to fill out my FAFSA, and then made a copy for the school with a forgery of Dad's signature. I know all his regular information so signing FAFSA electronically with his social was easy enough."

"Why the secrecy," Kono asked. She didn't hang out with Joy, she was younger and Kono was in Berkeley most of the week for school.

Rori started to pick at her nails when she realized why Joy hadn't told her parents. "Her dad would never let her leave San Francisco," she stated as she looked at one of her childhood friends. "Right Joy?"

Joy nodded silently. Rori looked at Kono and mouthed 'I'll explain everything later'. Kono nodded. She may not have understood the situation completely, but it was obvious that a public diner was no place to discuss what was going on. She patted her stomach in content. "Who's ready to shop?" she asked happily.

"Can we stop at my place?" Joy asked. She looked out the window. "I want to grab some extra cash I have. I think I may spend too much."

Rori stated to laugh as Kono's grin grew.

"Yeah, we can do that," Kono said. "Rori, do you want to drive, or should I be today's chauffer?"

"I think I can handle driving to Union Square," Rori deadpanned.

Kono eyed her in mock suspicion. "Why don't I believe you?" she asked. After a beat she shook her head. "Forget it, I'll drive."

"Kono, that hurts," Rori laughed.

0o0

Rori and Joy stood in the latter's bedroom. Joy grabbed a small plastic figuring of Pikachu and pulled the head off. She dumped the contents of the hiding place on her bed. She grabbed the rubber banded bills and dropped them into her small purse. Joy looked at Rori sadly. "You're the only one who knows what happens here," Joy spoke quietly.

"The twins know," Rori said as she sat down in Joy's desk chair. "Your mom and you. . . You can leave, Joy. You don't have to stay here with your dad."

"That's why I'm going to UC Santa Cruz," Joy said quickly. "I'm never coming back to this house. I'm not going to even think about this place. Mom won't leave, but I have to."

"UC Santa Cruz," a gruff voice came from the door.

Joy and Rori looked at the tall man that took up the space of the door frame. He glared at Joy as she scooted into the wall of her room. It was a look that Joy was well familiar with. "You're going to some fancy four-year school?" her father, Daren, scoffed as he stepped into the room. His hair was already white with age and his face was hollow from years of drinking and sleepless nights. "I never gave you permission."

"She's nineteen," Rori blurted out. "She doesn't need your permission to go to college." Rori stood up and looked at Joy's father challenging him.

"So you're back," Daren Montgomery grunted quickly brushing Rori's statement off. "You shouldn't get involved in family matters."

"Why?" Rori started as she continued to glare at him. "Are you going to hit me like you hit your wife and daughter? Punch me in a spot where clothing can hide the bruise. A little make-up to cover up that black eye?"

Daren clenched his fist and stepped towards Rori. Joy jumped. "Daddy, don't!" she shouted.

Daren whipped around and smacked Joy harshly. She fell to the ground holding her cheek. "Keep your mouth shut girl!" he barked.

Rori grabbed the floor lamp and pushed it over. The top of the lamp smacked Daren in the back of the head. He stumbled and fell to his knees. He looked at Rori and lunged towards her. She jumped over him and stood by Joy.

"We should run," Rori said as she grabbed her friend's hand. The two ran out of the bedroom and Rori pushed Joy through the narrow hallway towards the front of the house. Daren stood up on unsteady feet and roared in anger.

"Get back here!" he yelled.

Kono was waiting outside in the car when Rori and Joy came running out. Rori pulled the back door open and jumped in with Joy. "Go!" she shouted when Joy slammed the door shut.

Kono looked at Joy's house as Daren came out holding his head. His open hand was covered in blood. "Is that blood?" Kono shrieked having a strong fear of blood.

"Go before he grabs his gun!" Rori said urgently as she started looking for her dad's phone number. She couldn't hit the passcode correctly three times in a row before she tossed her iPhone on the ground.

"What they hell is going on?" Kono asked as she stomped on the gas. The car lurched forward and Joy quickly pulled her seatbelt on. Rori just stared at her shaking hands.

"I hit Joy's dad in the head with a floor lamp," Rori answered after a minute of silence. She suddenly remembered her dad. "How the hell am I going to explain this to dad?"

Joy's eyes popped out as she turned to look at Rori. "No! You can't tell your dad about this!" she screamed as Kono swung the car around a corner.

0o0o0o0

Redding, California 2:30 PM

"This guy is really starting to piss me off," Morgan growled as the team sat at a large round table in a diner. "Is he just going to keep moving south, taunting us like this?"

The team was sitting in a somber silence after Morgan spoke. Their UnSub was consistently one step ahead of the team. Just as soon as the team moved onto another town, another body showed up just a little further south.

Dave let out a tired sigh. After lunch, he was going to sleep for a couple hours. The team would be able to handle things. He knew he was working with the best and they would catch this guy. Dave thought that it was only a matter of time before the UnSub settled down. He had to from somewhere. That was the only logical assumption. The only question was if the UnSub was running to home or from it.

Dave felt his phone buzz and he pulled it out of his pocket. It was a text message with a picture attached from Rori. She was standing on the Golden Gate Bridge. He smiled when he saw the message. _All's well, Dad. Pen said you've moved onto Redding. Be careful please :-)_

"Where is Rori today?" Morgan asked happily using the text message as a temporary distraction.

Rori had been sending photos of herself all over the Bay Area to every member of the team. No one got the same photo. Derek had gotten a picture of Rori sitting on the head of a Chinese Lion in Chinatown the day before.

"She's at the Golden Gate Bridge," Dave smiled at the distinctive red suspension cables behind Rori. "She probably just went there to get a picture of the bridge. She's been photographing everything."

"Garcia says that her Facebook profile is covered in photos of San Francisco," Hotch nodded. He had talked to the technical analyst before going to lunch. He had ordered her to go home and get sleep before he had Agent Anderson forcibly remove her from her office and take her home himself.

"At least someone is having fun in California," Seaver said before taking a sip of her Sprite.

Dave nodded as he stood up. "I'm going to call her," he said excusing himself from the table. "Hopefully, she'll pick up and I can get a verbal confirmation that she's having a good time."

Reid looked at the senior agent. "Tell her 'Pawn to E4 and Checkmate'," he said. Rori and Reid had an ongoing chess game every time he was on a case. If the game ended while the team was still away the two started over.

Dave nodded before he made his way out of the diner. He dialed Rori and waited patiently for her to pick up.

"Hey dad," Rori whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Dave asked.

There was a pause on the line and Dave could hear a lot of chatter in the background. Suddenly, the chatter stopped. "I'm with Kono and a friend we were getting lunch. Sorry."

"It's okay," Dave smiled. "Am I ever going to learn the name of this friend you've been spending all of your time with?"

"It's Joy," Rori answered quickly as she took a deep breath.

Dave frowned. Rori didn't sound right to him. Her answers weren't as specific and they came too quickly. Where was Joy's last name? Rori was always clear, and specific. And the tone of her voice was different from the normal bubbly, happy sound that she had naturally. "Are you okay, Rori?" he asked warily.

"Yeah," Rori stated. "I think I caught a summer cold. I'm going to push through it. There's so much to do here in the Bay, and so little time to do it all," she laughed slightly.

"Maybe you should take a day to rest," Dave suggested. "I'm sure one day won't disturb your schedule too much when it comes to sightseeing."

"I'll talk to the others," Rori took another deep breath. "Are you close to catching the UnSub?"

_She's changing the topic, _Dave thought. "He's starting to slow down," he said as he kicked at the sidewalk. "Until another body shows up elsewhere, we're going to stay here in Redding."

"Redding isn't nearly as cool as San Francisco," Rori said. Dave could tell she was smiling and he felt himself smile too.

"I'm sure it isn't," Dave said. "Call me if anything comes up. You have you medical insurance card on you right?"

"Yes, it's in my wallet, but I don't think I'll have to see a doctor," Rori sighed. "Dad, I love you."

"I love you, too," Dave said. He looked at the empty sky. "Have a good time. Reid says to tell you 'Pawn to E4'."

"Damn. He won this game," Rori muttered.

Rori said good-bye and Dave hung up. He stared at his phone as he tried to shake the feeling that something was wrong. Maybe it was just the worried father role kicking in, or he was just overanalyzing the situation. Profilers could do that. They sometimes forgot that their family didn't like it when you started asking why they bought the twenty set of fine tip rainbow pens, or why were moody.

Dave headed back into the diner to finish his food. He left his suspicions about Rori behind him. He trusted his daughter to tell him if she was in need of his help. She had before, what reason was there now to think that she wouldn't call him.

Morgan let out a content sigh as Dave walked in. He glanced up at the senior agent. "How's Rori?" he asked.

"She thinks that she might be coming down with a summer cold," Dave replied as he took his seat again. "I told her to take a day to rest, and to stay in touch while she's running around the City."

Hotch smiled. He was reminded when Rossi pointed out that Hotch would be the one to talk to Hayley everyday he was away on a case. Now it was Rossi who would make the daily call to that special someone back home. The only difference was that Dave was calling his daughter.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: ON THIS DAY A YEAR AGO: I posted the very first chapter to The Death Card. It was also my very first fanfiction on the site that had gotten reviews, and my first Criminal Minds story. I can't believe that it's been a year already. . . Look at me getting all sentimental on you guys. I thought that today would be the day to post Judgement. The fourth in my Tarot series.

School has now started so updates may take just a TAD longer to post, but I promise, I'm working as fast as I can.

Drop me a review letting me know what you think of this chapter it kind of picked up now didn't it?

Ren/Shane


	8. Chapter 8

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Eight:

July 23, 2011 San Francisco, California 7:30 PM

Irene Norris entered her home and let out a tired sigh. At seventy-three she was now retired and hadn't been working for three years. She had been widowed at fifty-five after her husband of thirty-six years died of cancer. The past three years had been lonely, boring, and rather depressing.

Mrs. Norris glanced at the photo that hung above the fireplace in the living room. It was a large family photo. They weren't the kind of family bound by blood. This was the kind that was chosen. The Kayashima's and the Morre's became Irene's family quickly and she heard from them every week. Even if they weren't at the house in person, her family was always with her in spirit. Irene would do anything to help them, and that was about to be tested.

Irene looked curiously towards the back of her house. She didn't remember leaving her kitchen light on before visiting one of her husband's hotels for a nice dinner. She grabbed an umbrella off of her coat rack determined to have some sort of protection with her. She walked cautiously towards the back of the house.

"Mrs. Norris?" a voice the woman easily recognized came from the back entrance of the house.

Rori Morre came out of the kitchen and Irene put a hand over her heart. "Rori," she sighed in relief. "You almost gave me a heart attack," she said as she turned the living room light on.

Rori came into the room and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry," she apologized timidly.

Mrs. Norris shook her head as she smiled. "It wouldn't be the first time you've scared the bejesuses out of me," she said as she sat down in a large reading chair. "You were always jumping out from around corners as a child. You, Joy, and the twins. Dan was just a little demon and hid all the time."

Rori sat down on the couch that she had spent several years lounging in. It surprised the college student that very little had changed about the house since she had left with Kate three years ago. She wondered if Mrs. Norris was still sleeping in the downstairs bedroom.

"So what are you doing in an old woman's home?" Irene asked. "Surely you have some place else to be than here?"

"Joy's dad tried to hit her today while I was in the room," Rori spoke quietly.

"What happened?" Irene asked as panic took hold of her. "Were you two hurt?"

Rori shook her head. "Joy can't go home this time. She can't even stay here or with Kono. He'll come after her. I know it. And it doesn't help that I hit him over the head with a lamp-"

"You did what!" Irene shrieked. "Rori Anne Morre, Daren Montgomery will not stop looking for you until he kills you if what you say is true."

"You're over exaggerating things Mrs. Norris," Rori shook her head trying to downplay what she had done and the repercussions that were sure to come. "He won't kill me."

"Am I?" Irene asked as she stood up. She couldn't sit with all these horrible thoughts running through her head. She needed to come up with a plan. "You assaulted a man who keeps three guns locked up in that house. You need to call the police."

"That's not going to help!" Rori said. "We tried the police before, Mrs. Norris. They can't do anything unless they get called while the abuse is actually happening. They can't do anything after. He didn't get a chance to hit Joy this time. I hit him instead. I could get in serious trouble. I can't even call my dad because he'll have to report it."

"Rori, I think you'll be fine. It was self-defense," Irene said.

"I don't want to go to the police!" Rori exclaimed. "The minute Rori Anne Morre-Rossi shows up on a police report, Pen will call my dad. He's on a case right now. I don't want him involved in this mess. His responsibility is to his team right now, and I can't take him away from that!"

Irene threw her hands up. "He is your father! You are in trouble," she said. "Just because he's off chasing another serial killer doesn't mean you can deal with this on your own. You need his help!"

Rori shook her head as she stood up. "I just came to tell you that all of us are going to Santa Cruz. Joy can't stay here for another week," she said. "I'll be back at the end of the week so that I can go back home to Virginia."

"Where are you going to stay?" Irene asked. "Rori, you don't have the money for a couple rooms at a hotel. You need to think about these things."

"There are several cheap motels in the area, we'll find something."

Irene look at her hands clasped tightly together. "Go to Half Moon Bay," Mrs. Norris said suddenly. She was going to help these children. They were family. "You can stay at Herman's Inn."

Irene was talking about the smallest hotel her husband's company ran. Irene Norris had the ability to stay in any hotel for free, and was even allowed to let a friend stay in any open room at the last minute. It was her only condition that was added to the yearly portion of profits she received when she sold control over the company.

"I can't do that," Rori said as she looked at the ground. "I just needed to let someone know where we were going."

"You can't run to Santa Cruz," Irene stated. "Daren is going to come after Joy. You know this. The first place he's going to go is the city where Joy will be going to school. Go to Half Moon Bay, and I'll see what I can do when it comes to finding a legal and permanent solution to this. You have two days before any of you can be reported missing. I'll let Joy's mother know where she's going, and I'll even call Kimi for you, but you need to call your father."

Rori swallowed at the idea of calling her father. That would mean explaining the years of abuse she had witness Joy take. It would mean telling her dad that one of the reasons for coming to California was to ask Joy to leave her mom and dad and break away from the horrible memories that the Montgomery house held. She would have to tell her dad everything, and she wondered if she would be able to. This was something that Rori and her mother had stayed silent about over the years. Both of them trying to find a solution for Rori's friend, and never coming up with something that would be both safe and plausible.

Rori suddenly hugged Mrs. Norris. "I've missed you," she whispered. "Letters and emails don't seem to cut it anymore. I miss being able to sit with you as I tell you everything."

Mrs. Norris nodded as she hugged the teen tightly. "Then you should come to California more often."

"You could always visit Virginia too," Rori smiled.

0o0o0o0

July 25, 2011 San Francisco, CA

Dave stared at the mess in front of him. He and the team had caught their UnSub in Palo Alto, and before they could board the jet, a harried San Francisco detective showed up requesting their help in an urgent matter.

Hotch wasn't sure about taking the case, but he found out that teenage girl had been missing for a couple days. After that, the team had relocated to the City by the Bay.

There was something about the crime scene that made Dave feel uneasy. The body had been removed, and the bloody carper was covered in discarded material from when the paramedics tried to save the woman who had died.

There was no mystery as to who committed the heinous crime. It was the dead woman's husband. He beat her to death, and now he was gone. The victim had a nineteen-year-old daughter who had just disappeared. Police now considered the missing teen to be in danger due to the fact that they could not locate her father and bring him into custody.

Dave left Hotch in the living room and made his way upstairs to meet Reid in the missing girl's room. Reid was seated at the desk searching the desktop computer. A broken floor lamp had been left on the ground, and there was a dried bloody handprint on the tan carpet.

"What do you have, Reid?" Rossi asked.

"The victim's daughter has a bunch of YouTube videos where she talks about things that are going on at school. She plays a couple of online video games.

"What about Facebook?" Rossi asked. He didn't have a Facebook, but he learned quite a while ago that the social networking site could give the team valuable leads."

"Garcia's getting me access now," Reid said as he held his cellphone to his ear.

An internet browser popped up and Reid watched as Garcia worked her magic all the way from Quantico, Virginia.

Reid looked at the girl's profile as Dave looked at the actual room. She squinted at the collage of photos above the girl's bed. He pulled a Polaroid free of a thumbtack and stared at it. The breath had been taken right out of him as he snapped his head back in Reid's direction. "Give me the phone," he ordered once he gained the ability to speak.

Reid looked at the legendary profiler in shock before handing the phone over.

"Garcia, what's the address of where Rori's staying?" Dave asked.

"Uh… 521 Vine Street," Garcia answered before she continued. "Wait, you're at 518 Vine Street."

"Rori knows Joy Montgomery," Dave said. "They grew up together."

Dave quickly handed the phone back to Reid before he left the room. As he practically ran out of the house he focused on the picture he had just seen. It was an eight-year-old Rori with the twins, a young Joy, and one more boy. Christine, Kimi, and Joy's mother stood behind the children.

Hotch left the house and watched Dave jog across the residential street. Reid joined him and handed the Polaroid that Dave had dropped over to the team leader.

"When was the last time we heard from Rori?" Hotch asked. It had been a couple days since she had texted any of them, and Dave had been too busy trying to catch to UnSub to call Rori and check in on her. No body worried. Rori was with friends and family in her hometown. They didn't have to worry about her.

"Rori!" Dave shouted as she slammed his fist against the door in worry.

"She's not there," A woman spoke from the house next door. She was elderly and Dave wondered how she knew his daughter.

Dave pulled his badge out to show the woman and she waved him off as she came over to the Kayashima's stoop. "I know who you are," she said. "Christine told me about you many times while we lived together," she said. "Rori, her brother, Joy, and the Kayashima siblings left that house two days ago."

"Where is my daughter?" Dave asked.

Irene let out an aggravated sigh. Rori didn't tell her dad what happened. "Are you going to catch Daren Montgomery?" Irene asked. "If not, then keeping my mouth shut keeps those kids safer for just a bit longer."

"So Joy isn't with her dad?" Dave asked.

"Your daughter didn't want you involved," Irene said. "She knew you would have to tell the cops what happened."

Hotch and Reid walked over abandoning the Montgomery house. "What did happen?" Hotch asked as he looked at his phone.

"Daren was going to hit Joy, so Rori hit him first," Irene answered.

Dave's jaw clenched as he pulled out his phone. He gritted his teeth when Rori's phone went straight to voicemail. "I'm involved now," he growled. "Call me. Now."

Hotch's cell phone rang and he answered it quickly. "Hotchner," he answered. He gave quick answers. "Yes. Are you sure?" he asked quietly. "Thank you."

Hotch hung up and looked at Mrs. Norris. "Are they in Half Moon Bay?" he asked

Irene swallowed and nodded. Joy's mother probably told Daren where to find them as he was beating her. "How did he find them?" she asked wanted to confirm her suspicions.

"Before she died, Hope Montgomery told one of the paramedics that Joy was in Half Moon Bay. We just got the report now, so we don't know how far ahead Mr. Montgomery is."

Irene narrowed her eyes at Dave. "She's at the Shoreside Inn. It belonged to my husband Herman. Don't let Daren hurt those kids. They're special to me," she said. "Christine wouldn't be happy if any of them got hurt."

"Neither would I," Dave grunted as he tried calling Rori again.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: Look who's in trouble again. I wonder what happen this time. Actually, this story is going to focus more on what happens after this. There are a lot of issues that Rori and Dave will need to work through.

**Quick Note: The nomination process for the annual Profiler's Choice Awards are going on until the fifteenth of October. This is an awards show to honor your favorite Criminal Minds fanfics and the authors who write them. You can find the nomination ballot on the Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum here on . Show your favorite stories some love by nominating them for one of the 47 awards available. **

Anyway, I'll let you guys get to submitting a review because you know how much I enjoy hearing about them.

Ren


	9. Chapter 9

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

_**Shout Outs: They're back… Someone needs to remind me that I have to do these every chapter. I keep moving on to post, and you all are so special to me.**_

_**Dyallon: Thank you for looking this over before I posted. It means a lot.**_

_**Kimd33: Yeah, Rori should have told him. That seems to be the theme of this chapter. As you will soon see.**_

_**Nebula2: Nebula! As always, your reviews make me smile in glee. And thanks for pointing out the typos! **_

_**P95000: Thank you for your continued support of this series. And I'm really happy that you like Mrs. Norris. She was a ton of fun to write. **_

_**Booksandmusic97: YOU'RE BACK! I missed you! Anyway, Dave always seems to have the best lines doesn't he?**_

0o0o0o0

Chapter Nine:

July 25, 2011 Half Moon Bay, California

Kenta Kayashima stumbled through the sand and fell next to Rori. She stared absently out at the ocean. The teenage girl hugged her knees close. "I have to call my dad today. I held off because Joy didn't want to involve him, but two days is long enough."

"You should have called him sooner," Kenta said. "Just because Joy doesn't want to involve the police doesn't want to involve the police, doesn't mean you can keep your dad in the dark. He's not going to be happy."

"If you don't agree, they why haven't you called him?" Rori asked as she balled her fists. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and it felt like there wasn't an escape.

"He's your dad, and you're the one who got in trouble," Kenta said. He had been through so much with Rori, but even he knew that some matters needed to be handled between father and daughter.

Rori pulled her phone out and turned it on. She knew that the minute she explained things to her father that she was opening herself up to a lot of backlash and possible punishment in the form of grounding. However, she knew that she couldn't put the phone call of any longer. She had to tell her dad about what happened in the Montgomery house two days ago.

Rori stared at her phone and the red number that indicated several missed calls and voicemails. She had four missed calls from her dad in the past hour alone, and an additional six from Garcia. A deep feeling of dread took hold of Rori and it became difficult for her to breath. Had something else happened? Was a member of the team hurt? Rori hesitantly lifted her phone to her ear and started listening to the tense voicemails from her father. He ordered her to call him every time, and she knew that he found out. Garcia's voicemails were detailed and gave her the information she needed. Joy's mom was dead, and the last voicemail had Garcia frantically telling Rori to get out of Half Moon Bay. "He's there Rori, he's coming after Joy. Call Rossi, please."

Kenta looked up at Rori as she jumped up. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Joy's dad is here in town. He killed her mom yesterday. Kenta, Joy's in trouble," Rori said as she grabbed her red knitted shoulder bag. She opened it up and looked at the Taser she started bringing with her everywhere after she got shot. Too many bad things had happened and she was prepared to zap a jackass or two. "I have to go find her. Can you call my dad? I wouldn't be able to carry on a conversation as I was trying to find Joy. It's bad to talk and run."

Kenta nodded as he started thinking about what needed to be done. He would have to find his brother who was off running around town checking out all of the expensive boutiques. "I'll call your dad, but you need to call me when you find Joy, so I know where you are. We should meet back at the hotel. It's kind of a back roads way to get there, so maybe Joy's dad wouldn't have gotten there yet. Plus there's always the service entrance. Kyle and Kono are already hanging out there, so I'll just go collect my brother."

Rori kissed Kenta on the cheek before running off. She knew where to find Joy. Joy went for walks all the time, and it was likely that Joy was on the other end of the beach. If Daren Montgomery was in the town that would be the first place he would go. He didn't know where the hotel was, but he knew how to get to the beach. This put Joy in a lot of danger; she didn't exactly pay attention when she was walking around. She would put some headphones in crank up the music as loud as it would go, and she would just walk.

0o0o0o0

Dave looked at his phone anxiously as Hotch weaved his way through the mountains. He mentally cursed the lack of cell phone reception and the one lane of traffic that moved at twenty miles an hour. It would delay the team's efforts to get to Rori and her friends before Daren Montgomery did. He hoped that Rori had turned her phone on in the time since he entered the mountain pass. He wanted her to call him. No, he needed her to call him.

Hotch slid a quick glance over to check on the senior agent. Dave hadn't spoken since they lost cell phone reception. "She's probably trying to call you right now," he spoke as he turned his attention back to the road. He didn't need to miss a turn.

"Why didn't she call two days ago?" Dave asked as he gripped his phone tightly. "Is there some reason she didn't call me? I could have helped, and she didn't call."

Reid spoke up from the back seat. "It's possible she wanted to call you, but something stopped her. That's likely the first thing she wanted to do. She always calls you."

"But she didn't call," Dave said. "If she always calls me, then why didn't she call this time? Does she not trust me?"

"Dave," Hotch spoke calmly. "Rori trusts you more than anyone else. You're her dad, and she knows this. She's smart, and you and I both know that she wouldn't do something unless she thought it through. Rori is probably acting in a way that will keep Joy safe."

"This man brutally beat his wife to death, and now he's going after my daughter," Dave said as he gritted his teeth together. "How could she hide something like this from me?"

Reid shifted uncomfortably in the backseat. He knew Rori was doing everything she could to keep Joy Montgomery safe. That was what she did. He knew Rori's behavior better than most of the team. He talked to her all the time. Most of the time they talked over a game of chess. She had mentioned a friend who had been abused, but she never mentioned a name. Reid should have asked more about it, he should have done something, but Rori telling him was all hearsay. There wasn't any proof that Reid could take to the California Authorities because Rori was careful never to mention names. Now Reid could put a name with the abuse, and he wanted to tell Rossi, but the senior agent hadn't stopped fuming over his daughter's lack of trust.

"Ross," Reid began as he swallowed. Rossi turned in his seat to look at the genius. "Rori told me about Joy a year ago."

"What!" Rossi snapped.

"She didn't give me a name. She never gave me names. This was back when she had first moved in with you," Reid explained quickly. "She just said that she and Joy would always run to the beach when Joy's dad got drunk. They would collect seashells until Rori's mom came to pick them up."

Hotch looked at Reid through the rearview mirror. He knew that somewhere in Reid's head was a clue to figuring out what Rori would do. "What else did she tell you about joy?"

"The two of them liked to shop at the mall. Different places as they got older, but they both liked shoes. They would go to Berkeley to eat different ethnic foods. Rori's mom would take them to Half Moon Bay on the weekend to all of the boutiques."

"Did she ever mention which store was her favorite?" Hotch asked. That would be the first place they checked if Rori didn't call them.

"The kitchen supply store," Reid recalled. "It's where she got a large majority of the supplies she uses now."

0o0

Main Street in Half Moon Bay was absent of stoplights. Store fronts were plain on the outside, but the looking through the windows; you could see the expensive clothing, eclectic art collection, and various other specialty shops. Overall, it had the look and feel of a small sleepy town one saw in movies. It was calm, peaceful, and serene.

The presence of FBI agents sent visiting patrons scurrying through doors like cockroaches when you turned the light on. Doors were shut and locked and suddenly the town didn't seem so tranquil. Morgan and Seaver had called from the hotel to say that only Kyle and Kono were in the room.

Rossi looked at his buzzing phone to see Kenta calling him. "Kenta," he answered quickly. "Is Rori with you?"

"She got your message and ran off to find Joy. We all broke off to do what we want. I was supposed to grab my brother and meet the two of them back at the hotel," Kenta explained. "I've been trying to call you."

"There's no cell phone service in the mountain pass on the way up," Dave answered.

"So you're here in the town?" Kenta asked.

"We arrived about ten minutes ago," Dave said. He looked around the small town wishing he could catch a glimpse of his daughter's black hair. He was mad, but he was also worried. Rori was still recovering from a bullet wound and now she was running around trying to help a friend from getting killed. Dave felt like this wouldn't go over well with the doctor next week for her checkup. "Does Rori have her phone on her?"

"Yeah, it's on too. She's probably still on the beach."

"Where are you?" Dave asked looking around again.

"Music store with Kaoru," Kenta answered. "Adele is playing right now. That's when you know you're at the right store."

"Agent Reid will come get you and your brother. Hotch and I will head for the beach to find Rori and Joy."

"Did Joy's dad really come here?" Kenta asked suddenly. Dave could hear the slight fear in the young man's voice.

"His car was found here," Dave answered. "I have to call Rori," he stated before hanging up the phone.

0o0

Rori was sitting on a sand dune holding her abdomen in pain. Running was not an option anymore. Joy sat next to her glancing about in fear. "Rori, I'm so sorry for getting you involved in all of this," Joy said.

"Joy, stop apologizing. This is not your fault. If anyone is at fault right now, it's me," Rori said through shallow breaths. She winced as she pushed her abdomen. "I should have called my dad two days ago. I shouldn't have listened to you. If I had called him, then maybe your mom…" Rori couldn't complete the thought as she found that she had suddenly lost her voice.

Joy bit her lip. Rori had told her everything about her dad beating her mom to death. How her dad was somewhere in town. Joy knew that the BAU was on their way, but it didn't stop her from being mortally afraid that her dad would get to them first. Joy and Rori attempted to run back to the beach front inn where they had been staying. However, they needed to stop when Rori complained about her recovering side.

"Rori, we need to get off the beach," Joy said. She was ready to ignore the fact that her mom was dead for a couple more minutes if it meant getting back to the hotel alive. Sometimes, you needed to forget something for the sake of keeping your cool.

Rori's phone rang and both girls looked at it. Rori answered quickly after recognizing a Sinatra classic. "Dad!" she exclaimed as she brushed away a few tears. "I'm so sorry. I should have told you about Joy's dad. I'm so sorry."

"Where are you?" Dave asked. His voice was tight to hide the anger and fear. Rori swallowed when she realized that her dad was tense.

"We're at the farthest end of the beach," Rori said. "Moving away from downtown. We were running back to the hotel, but my abdomen started to hurt. I think I pulled something. I'm not sure though."

"We're coming to get you," her father reassured her.

"Dad," Rori whispered. "Please hurry."

"I'm here on the phone," Dave said. "I won't hang up if you don't."

Rori nodded and stared to cry. She wanted her dad to be in front of her. She didn't care if he was mad at her; she was going to hug him until she didn't have any strength left in her arms. She was never going to stop apologizing. She just needed her dad to show up and make things better.

"Rori, I know what happened at Joy's house," Dave told her. "You're not in trouble for assaulting Mr. Montgomery. You were protecting Joy. You can't be in trouble for that."

"Are you sure?" Rori asked as she sniffed.

"Yes, I'm sure," Dave answered. "Take deep breaths for me okay?"

Rori nodded but realized that he couldn't see her. "Okay," she swallowed.

Joy suddenly grabbed Rori's arm and pointed to their left. "Rori! He's here," she shrieked.

Rori looked at the figure quickly getting closed. "Dad!" she yelped. "He's here, he found Joy."

"We're almost there," Dave said quickly. Rori could hear the worry in his voice.

Rori watched as Daren Montgomery lifted a gun up as he stopped walking. Shots rang out and Rori dropped her phone as she rolled down the sand dune.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: A new chapter is out and I have left you at a cliff hanger. I do apologize, but I just couldn't help myself. It seems that the crap has hit the fan for our favorite characters. I guess you'll just have to wait anxiously to find out what happened to our friends.

**Quick Note: The nomination process for the annual Profiler's Choice Awards are going on until the fifteenth of October. This is an awards show to honor your favorite Criminal Minds fanfics and the authors who write them. You can find the nomination ballot on the Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum here on . Show your favorite stories some love by nominating them for one of the 47 awards available. **

Anyway, I'll let you guys get to submitting a review because you know how much I enjoy hearing what you think about the chapter.

Ren


	10. Chapter 10

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

**_Shout Outs: ilovetvalot: Thanks for the review, and I'm so happy that I was able to get a new chapter out this weekend. You actually motivated me to get it done._**

**_hxchick: I would hate to be in Rori's shoes too, and I made her do this._**

**_p95000: I hope Rossi's reaction is to your liking. :)_**

**_kimd33: Well, if you're used to the cliffhangers, I still hope you like the story._**

**_Booksandmusic97: Really... Don't yell at your phone while you're at school! People will think you're crazy._**

**_La'Rae and Ninja's Incorporated: Hey, you like my writing on both accounts. I officially like you a lot now!_**

**_nebula2: That was my favorite line. Mostly because I was walking in that part of Half Moon Bay a month ago. That would totally happen there._**

**_goldeneyes123: I tried to update as soon as possible. I hope you like it!_**

0o0o0o0

Chapter Ten:

"Rori!" Dave yelled into his cell phone as Hotch drove to the other end of the beach. Dave heard the gun shot. Was he too late? Had Daren Montgomery shot his daughter? What about Joy Montgomery? Dave didn't like all of these questions as he could feel his head race. "Rori! What's happening?" he asked. He pleaded to the Almighty Power That Be to let him hear something. Anything if it let him know that Rori and Joy were okay.

"Joy! Run!" Dave heard Rori yell.

"Dave, look," Hotch said nodding his head slightly. He was looking down at the beach below them a few hundred feet ahead was the faint figure of three people.

"Stop the car," Dave ordered. He undid his seatbelt as Hotch jolted to a stop. He pushed his door open and quickly pulled his gun from its holster.

Hotch and Rossi quickly ran down a set of wooden stairs and jogged towards Daren and the two girls.

Rori and Joy crawled in between the sand dunes from where they had tumbled to avoid getting shot. Rori frantically searched for her phone only to find that she had left it on the other side. To get the phone would expose herself to gunfire.

"Rori, what do we do?" Joy whispered as tears started to roll down her face.

Rori looked around as her mind jumped from one possible plan to the other. All of them would work up until Rori and Joy were openly exposed to Joy's dad and his gun. "I don't know," Rori admitted somberly. As she stared at her quaking hands and knees. She had never been this scared before she shook her head when she realized that was wrong. There was always Scotland and Collin.

Joy blinked as she stared widely at Rori. "My dad has a gun and you don't know what to do!" she whispered harshly.

"I've never been in a situation like this," Rori stated.

"You got shot two months ago," Joy countered as if that explained everything.

"Yes, and I would rather not relive that experience," Rori said as she looked at Joy. "Joy, I just wanted to help you get away from your dad. I never thought this would happen."

"Come out!" Daren roared.

"FBI!" Hotch barked from the distance. "Put the gun down!"

Rori peeked around the sand dune and watched as Joy's father turned around and fired at Hotch and her own father. Rori jumped up and watched her dad turn slightly and fall to the ground as he held his arm.

Hotch fired two careful shots and lowered his gun ever so slightly as Daren fell to the ground. Hotch walked over quickly and kicked the revolver out of the way. He looked over at Dave. "Are you okay?"

"Dad!" Rori screamed. She rushed towards her dad as he started investigating his flesh wound.

Dave looked up as Rori fell to ground next to him. "I just got grazed," he said calmly. He looked at her sternly as she started to pull at his shirt. It reminded Dave of a similar situation between him and Christine. "You and I need to talk."

Rori threw her arms around Dave neck. "I'm so sorry," she sobbed.

Dave let out a small sigh of relief as he let his daughter hug him. He was only grazed slightly. Sure, it would require some stitches, but he could worry about that later. Now, he was more concerned with the eighteen year old hanging off of him as she cried hysterically.

0o0o0o0

Dave stood in a small hotel room and watched Rori carefully. His arms were crossed as he tapped his foot. He was patiently waiting for Rori to say something. He was in a simple t-shirt and his left arm had been bandaged after he got stitches at the hospital.

Rori was seated at the edge of one of the two beds. Her cheeks were tearstained and her eyes were puffy. Her head was bent low in shame as she avoided her dad's intimidating gaze. She stared at the hands that rested in her lap. "I wanted to tell you," she whispered finally.

"So why didn't you tell me?" Dave asked. "Rori, this is serious. You were both in danger. I should have been the first person you called, but instead you turned your phone off for two days and ran away to some beach town."

"You were on a case," Rori said. "I didn't want to take you away from it. You hadn't caught the UnSub, and everyone was frustrated. I didn't want to add more to that."

Rori had yet to look up and Dave let out a deep breath. "Rori, you're my daughter, you come before any case of mine," he explained. He moved to sit next to Rori. He placed a comforting hand on her knee. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry," Rori whispered. She started to cry again. "I'm so sorry."

Dave sighed and wrapped his uninjured arm around her shoulders. "You need to trust that I'll always be there to help you."

"It's all because of me," Rori said suddenly as she sniffed. "Mrs. Montgomery is dead because of me."

"No," Dave said as he squeezed Rori's shoulder. He tried to comfort her, but even he could feel that it wasn't working. "Daren Montgomery killed Joy's mother. That will never be your fault."

Rori stood up and walked to the other bed. She couldn't stand to see her dad acting so compassionate when she had done something so horrible. A woman was dead because Rori had hidden the truth from the proper authorities. Joy lost both her parents in the span of forty-eight hours. She didn't disserve her father's comforting words. "Why aren't you angry?" Rori asked quietly.

Dave looked at Rori's blank face. He turned so that he was looking ahead. "I am angry," he admitted. His jaw set in a hard line. "I'm angry because you didn't trust me enough to call when you needed help." He glanced back at Rori and shook he head. He pushed himself off the bed and moved so that he was crouching before her.

"Rori, you scared me. I thought you had been shot again," he said. "I was worried, and I was angry, but you're safe. We can move on to better days. Days where people aren't trying to kill you." He was tired of finding out that Rori had managed to get into trouble once more. Regular fathers didn't have to go through this.

Dave pulled Rori into a tight hug and held her limp body close. He wouldn't be letting her go any time soon. "I will have to come up with some sort of punishment though," he added.

"I'm so sorry," Rori repeated for the tenth time that day as she hugged him back. It was a weak hug, but she was happy to be in her dad's arms.

"You can start making up for all of this by not apologizing," Dave said. "And I'm going to take your computer when we get back to Virginia."

Rori smiled. "I can live with that."

0o0o0o0

August 1, 2011 Quantico, Virginia

Morgan stepped into Dave's office. "JJ is back?" he asked the senior agent. He had just been greeted by the former media liaison in the bullpen, and was caught completely off guard.

Dave looked up from his desk. He nodded. "Hotch leaves for Pakistan tomorrow," he said. "We'll need an extra mind with him and Reid being gone."

Morgan looked up at the photo of Rori on Dave's wall. It hung next to one of Dave's awards. He hadn't seen the teen in a week, and from the grumbling he had caught as he passed Dave's office, things weren't going well. "How did we get JJ back?"

"It's been in the works," Dave said mysteriously. Actually, he had been working on it since JJ left the BAU. The team needed someone like her. It wasn't complete without her. Seaver left at the end of the week for a transfer to Andy Swan's team. Changes were being made, and JJ coming back was probably the best part of any of them. "You just have to know what strings to pull," he said as he smiled and shook his head as if amused by a small joke.

"How's Rori?" Morgan asked. He knew he wouldn't get any more answers about JJ's return, nor did he really care. One more team member was what they needed right now. At least he could certainly get some information of Dave's daughter.

"She's up in Commack," Dave sighed. "She left yesterday." Dave dropped his pen and pushed his report away. He hadn't been able to focus on it when Morgan wasn't talking to him. It would be impossible now.

Rori still blamed herself for the death of Joy's mother. Fed up with her somber mood, Dave asked his parents to take her in for a week. Maybe some time away from her dad would be good for her. She could play the piano with Joseph and make meatballs with her grandmother.

"That sounds like something she needs," Morgan said as he leaned against the door. "Rori loves being around her grandparents," he grinned and rocked back on his heels.

Dave nodded and looked at the photo of Rori on his desk. In the past year, his office had been filled with them. Sometimes one photo would disappear and another would reappear in its place. He suspected that Garcia was partially responsible.

Morgan studied the senior agent. Rossi had been putting in a lot of time at the BAU. He was in early, and left late. Morgan knew that Rori and Dave were at odds after the incident in California. Morgan had to wonder if Dave and Rori had even spoken at length in a week.

"Rossi, is everything all right with you and Rori?" Derek asked.

Dave sighed. "She hasn't really left the house. Kyle will be staying over at my parents as well, but he doesn't leave until tomorrow. The house is to quiet right now," he explained. "The two of them usually have this unending playful banter and it's just . . . gone."

"Have you talked to Rori?" Morgan asked. "I mean about California?"

"No," Dave admitted. He looked at his hands as they rested on his desk. "She told me what happened at the Montgomery house when we were at the hotel, but she hasn't spoken about it since then. It's like she wants to ignore what happened. Everything she did."

"Rori wouldn't just ignore a problem," Morgan said. "Are you sure that's it?"

Dave shrugged. "She's ashamed, I know that much. She just doesn't talk to me right now."

"Keeping her mouth shut about Joy's abuse is pretty normal," Morgan said after a beat of silence. He could understand that. "Rori doesn't talk about what happened because Joy never wanted her abuse to come out. Rori's been keeping that hidden for a large majority of her life. Talking about that wouldn't come easily."

"Christine knew," Dave said. "If Rori could tell her, why couldn't she tell me?"

"Perhaps it's because Rori's been through so much this year, and you're always coming to her rescue," Morgan said. "We all do. She feels guilty because she feels like all of this is her fault. She bothered us with a problem she caused. At least that's how I would feel if I was her."

Dave stared at Morgan. The younger agent was probably right. Rori needed to know this wasn't her fault, but he couldn't seem to convince her of that. It didn't really help that Dave himself had been injured after everything on the beach went down. Rori kept sneaking glances at his arm when she saw him at the house.

"I'm just going to give her some space," Dave said. "Not too much, but just enough. I'm going up to Commack at the end of the week to see if my mother managed to put Rori right. Rori starts school at the end of the month, and I would prefer it if she was back to her old self by then. She needs to be completely invested in her studies."

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: Mama Rossi is coming back everyone! I love writing her! Plus I get to write some Italian family humor which is great. I have some new things to write in. School is pretty wild right now, but hey, I'm working hard to get updates to you guys. This is only one of a couple stories I'm posting today, so if you read anything else. Stay tuned.

**Quick Note: The nomination process for the annual Profiler's Choice Awards are going on until the fifteenth of October. This is an awards show to honor your favorite Criminal Minds fanfics and the authors who write them. You can find the nomination ballot on the Chit Chat on Author's Corner forum here on the site. Show your favorite stories some love by nominating them for one of the 47 awards available. **

Anyway, I'll let you guys get to submitting a review because you know how much I enjoy hearing what you think about the chapter.

Ren


	11. Chapter 11

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Eleven: August 2, 2011 Commack, Long Island

Bianca Rossi stood in her kitchen as she happily rolled out perfectly sized meatballs for dinner. She frowned as she mentally calculated the weight. It felt a little light for her liking which meant that she would have to add some more. She took a pinch more of the ground beef and cheesy blend and added it to the large mass of meat. She simply wouldn't tolerate a meat ball that wasn't the right shape, size, and density.

She glanced over at the small breakfast table and let out a sigh. The teenager that was asleep at the table was in need of a real Italian dinner and a hug. The girl looked like Rori, she sounded like Rori, but it wasn't Rori.

The doorbell rang and Mama Rossi looked towards the front of her home expectantly. She smiled when she saw her husband head for the door. She knew who it was, and he was just on time.

Rori took a deep breath and sat up. She looked around sleepily and sniffed the air. "Beef?" she asked.

Mama Rossi washed her hands before taking a seat at the kitchen table. "Meatballs," she smiled. She placed a hand on top of Rori's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "How are you, sweetheart?"

"I'm okay, Grandma," Rori smiled half-heartedly. "I really messed up didn't I?"

"You're eighteen. Every mistake you make gives you a chance to grow," Mama Rossi said reassuringly. "Your father did much worse before the age of eighteen, and it's time he worry just like I did."

Kyle came into the kitchen and gave Bianca a sideways hug. "Hey," he greeted with a smile. He looked at Rori. "Are we still moping about because Dad took your little compy?"

"You know that's not the reason," Rori grumbled as she tried to hide the small smile that had snuck onto her face. Her brother managed to make her smile through everything since she had met him.

"Why don't you help Kyle get settled upstairs while I put dinner in the oven? It'll take a while to cook, so you just relax. You're here to forget all those nasty troubles."

Rori stood up slowly and Kyle pulled her into a tight hug. "Dave told me to give you something," he said. "It's in the living room."

Kyle led Rori to the living room as Bianca grabbed the land line. She dialed her son's number after consulting a list on the wall and waited for him to pick up the phone.

"Hey, Mama," Dave answered. "Did Kyle arrive okay?"

"Just now," Bianca answered happily. It had been a long while since her home felt this full. Joseph would get home from teaching piano in the next half hour. "I think your plan may be working. She's still a little downcast, but I saw a glimmer of a smile today."

"My Macbook!" Rori exclaimed from the living room. Bianca shook her head and smiled. Rori loved her technology.

"That's good," Dave sighed. "I'm ready for this teen angst thing to be over and done with. I want my daughter back."

"Dave, it's not always going to be easy," his mother told him simply. "You got lucky, and that luck has just about run out. Rori is still a teenager, and she may test at a high level, but you and I both know that she has a lot to learn. Books can only tell the girl so much. Experience is the best teacher. You should know."

"So, I should be okay with all of this?" Dave asked skeptically.

"No," Mama Rossi corrected. She rolled her eyes at her son's naivety when it came to teenagers. Hadn't he been one himself just yesterday? "I'm saying that she should be allowed to make mistakes without her father jumping down her throat after yet another trauma this year. I swear she's a magnet for trouble."

Mama Rossi propped the phone on her shoulder as she continued her dinner preparations. "You're still coming to Commack this weekend, right?"

"Yes, Mama," Dave answered. "How is she really?"

"She's good. She knows she messed up, that was never up for debate, but she knows that the death of Joy's mom isn't her fault," Bianca explained as she grabbed a pair of pot holders.

"Well, that's progress," Dave sighed.

"David, I'm about to put dinner in the oven," Mama Rossi said as he moved to hold the phone. "Is your required one call satisfying?" she asked. After all, Dave had told her that she needed to call him and update the profiler on his daughter's mental state.

"I'll see you on Friday, Mama," Dave grunted. "I love you, Mama."

"I love you too," Bianca said happily.

0o0o0o0

August 3, 2011 Quantico, Virginia

"Hey Rossi," Garcia smiled weakly as she stood in the doorway of his office. "You're still going to Commack this weekend?" she asked nervously.

Rossi looked up. "Yes," he answered slowly. "I didn't have plans to do anything else." He leaned back in his chair and raised a curious eyebrow. "Do you know something I don't?"

Garcia started picking at her manicured nails. She wasn't sure how Rossi would take the information she had. She wasn't even sure how to take it herself. A part of the techie was irked that Rori didn't call the BAU when she was in trouble, but she was over that after Rori sent her some flowers and promised a small day out to make it up to her. However, this piece of news was unexpected and unheard of. It was unfathomable from her perspective. "Rori and Kenta broke up today," Garcia said quietly.

"What?" Dave asked after a moment. "What happened?" he asked as he leaned forward. He wondered if his mother knew about the break up and conveniently forgot to mention it.

"I don't know," Garcia admitted. "Rori and Kenta both have statuses on Facebook that say they broke up."

"They didn't give any explanation?" Rossi questioned as he wished he had a Facebook. He didn't see the point in the social network, but he also grew up without cell phones and if he really wanted to know what was going on with a friend, he would just walk across the street.

"Radio silence," Garcia frowned. She didn't like this. Rori and Kenta were perfect for each other. They were the younger generation's Morgan and Garcia.

Rossi pulled his phone out of his pocket. A part of him wanted to see a voicemail from Rori. As soon as Garcia left, he would call her. Just to check in. Teenage girls can get emotional over break up, right? That's what happened with just about everyone else in the world. Would he have to go to Commack early?

"Thanks for telling me, Garcia," Dave said quietly. "I think I'll just call Rori and find out what happened."

"Okay," Garcia whispered before turning to leave. It was time to look into Rori and Kenta's Facebook history hoping to find something that explained the break up.

Dave sat at his desk quietly staring at Rori's phone number. Doubt creeped in and he wondered if Rori would tell him the truth. He still wondered if she told the whole truth about the situation with Joy. Could he trust his own daughter?

As if she knew that her dad was thinking about her. Rori's face lit up the screen as she called. Dave answered quickly. "Hello?"

"Hey Dad," Rori said. "Can you talk?"

"Of course," Rossi nodded. He grabbed a pen and started twirling it as he waited for Rori to speak.

"I'm really sorry about California," she said. Dave could hear a clicking on the other end of the line. He knew that she was tapping a pen on whatever hard surface she was near. This was a habit that the two of them shared.

"California is in the past," Dave told her. "I don't like what you did, but we need to move on. It does us no favors to dwell on situations like that. Is everything all right?" he asked. He mentally hoped that Rori would tell him about the break up.

"No," Rori admitted quietly. "Kenta and I broke up. I don't really want to talk about it. I just… I really wanted to talk to you."

"Okay," Dave smiled. It pleased him to hear those words coming from Rori. "We can talk. How's Gram treating you?"

"She won't stop making me pasta for lunch and dinner," Rori stated. "It's delicious, but I'm about pasta'd out."

Dave chuckled slightly. That was his mother. She was always cooking when one of the Rossi children was going through some mental turmoil. All of her recipes came from old Italia, and it had long been established that nobody could make better lasagna.

"She won't stop making food until she knows you're feeling better. And don't try to pretend, she'll only lecture and make even more food," Dave spoke from experience. His mother was a force to be reckoned with.

Dave heard Rori snort. "Good to know," she mumbled. "Are you still coming up to Commack this weekend?"

"I think I might make it up sooner," Dave said. "So, what does a dad bring his daughter after she breaks up with her boyfriend?" The Italian father in him showed up. The father that wanted to comfort his daughter and he knew that there would be something she wanted.

"Dad," Rori moaned. "You don't have to come early just because Kenta and I broke up."

"I was already considering it," Dave lied effortlessly. He wasn't planning on going early, but now he wondered why he didn't go with Rori in the first place. She was _his_ daughter and he needed to be there for her. "Anything you need. I'll bring it with me."

Rori let out a long sigh. "Can you bring my pillows from the house? The pillows in Aunt Bella's old room aren't stuffed enough. They're super flat and I feel like I don't even have a pillow."

Dave felt himself smile. That was the Rori he knew. "Anything else?"

"Chocolate…lots and lots of chocolate," Rori drew the answer out slowly, and Rossi could picture her biting her lip slightly after speaking.

"Chocolate Bars. Got it," Dave said as he started to tap his pen against the desk.

"Don't forget the pillows," Rori quipped.

"Let Mama know I'll be in late tonight," Dave stated. "Are you going to be up?"

"You'll be in Commack around eleven if you leave Quantico at five. I'll wait up for you."

"It might be closer to midnight. I have to stop by the house to get some clothes," Dave explained.

"And my pillows," Rori repeated. There was a beat of silence before Rori continued. "You could just wait and leave tomorrow morning."

"I'll grab some strong coffee." Dave waved off her suggestion. "Midnight. I'll bring the pillows and chocolate. You can pick the movies. We won't talk about Kenta or California."

0o0o0o0

Rori opened her grandparent's front door when she saw bright headlights coming up the drive. She was in a simple pair of black cotton sleep shorts and a grey tank top. She waited for her dad to step out of his SUV before running over to him and hugging him tightly.

"Are we okay?" she asked as she buried her face in his chest.

Dave wrapped his arms around her. "We were never not okay," he said. "Just trust me and I'll trust you."

"Okay."

"So, what movie did you pick out?" Dave asked. He pulled Rori away from him so that he could grab his thing from the back.

"Some Cary Grant films. Nothing special," Rori shrugged unceremoniously. "_Charade,__Bringing__up__Baby,__Arsenic__and__Old__Lace_."

"Quite the selection," Dave mused as he pulled the back door open.

Rori's face lit up and she rushed over to grab her plush pillows. "I missed my pillows," She squealed childishly as she hugged them tightly to her chest. "Now, I might be able to sleep!"

Dave contained his laughter as he watched Rori do her 'happy dance'. "I brought Hersey Bars, Kisses, Hugs, Godiva Chocolates, and I know they aren't chocolate, but I also brought Jolly Ranchers," Dave listed as he grabbed a grocery store bag. "I hope that will satiate your sweet tooth."

"It should," Rori grinned as she tried to grab at the bag. "Kyle was a total spoil sport. He fell asleep while waiting up for you."

"You didn't draw on his face like last time, did you?" Rossi eyed his daughter suspiciously. It had been known to happen once or twice. Kyle always got Rori back somehow, and more times than Dave could count, it meant something in his house would break.

"I resisted temptation," Rori deadpanned. "But it was _really_ hard."

Rossi shook his head as he walk up to the house he had grown up in. This house had many fond memories, as well as a couple of not so happy memories. A large portion of them ended up with Dave facing a wall while he had a time out. That was his mother's doing. His father was on to give a decent swat, or two, to the head.

Dave found Kyle passed out on the living room couch. Quiet snores came from the college student. A light next to the reading chair was on and several music sheets scattered on the coffee table. A quick look over the scores indicated fast, upbeat music. This was a good sign. If the music was happy, then so was Rori. He wondered if it was written before she and Kenta broke up.

"Kaoru and I are working on some new pieces," Rori said as she walked in. "It wasn't one of those 'who broke up with who' kind of things," she said softly. She hugged her pillows tightly as she stared at the ground.

"What?" Dave asked. It took him a minute to realize that she was talking about Kenta. "Do you want to talk about it right now?" he asked.

Rori moved into the family room, where the dogs were dozing in front of the upright piano. She sat down in the middle of a large pile of blankets and stuff animals. Dave looked around and knew that he would have to get on the floor too if Rori was going to talk about anything. His back would be just the slightest bit sore in the morning, but that was the price he would have to pay. He doubted the old mattress upstairs was much better.

"He called earlier today and we talked," Rori began picking at her nails. "We both had our reasons I guess."

Dave took a seat next to her and picked up a tattered, patchwork teddy bear. He recalled that it belonged to one of his sisters. Which one was the only answer that eluded him. "So, what were the reasons?"

"We sometimes argue about stupid stuff, like food, and clothes," Rori told him.

"Do you have any idea how often your mother and I fought over 'stupid stuff'?" Dave questioned with a grin. "We once fought over the correct way to make a turkey club."

Rori smiled sadly. "Did you know that Kaoru and Alice are having sex?"

Dave narrowed his eyes at the thought of his daughter having sex. Was she being pressured to do something that she wasn't ready for, or was she ready and Kenta wasn't? He let out a breath that he was holding. This entire problem just seemed to confuse him even more. "Tell me he didn't want to break up because there was a lack of physical intimacy." Dave couldn't even bring himself to say the word 'sex' at a time like this. It felt awkward and the word couldn't make it past his lips.

"No!" Rori whispered harshly. She was afraid that she would wake her brother up, and she didn't want to bother him with her troubles. "It's something that we talked about, but it was never a valid reason."

Rossi began to grumble incoherently. Rori was about to bite at her nails when Dave pulled her hand away from her mouth. "What else."

"Time was a big issue," Rori replied. "With school and everything else. We don't have the time to do anything together. We're just super busy, and we aren't close anymore. When we do spend time together, we sleep or we study. That's not what a relationship should be. Right?" Rori looked to her father for guidance.

"That's not an excuse," Dave said.

Rori looked up at her dad. His jaw was set as he leaned against the front of the couch. She felt herself shrink next to the aura he was emitting.

"If you truly wanted your relationship with Kenta Kayashima to work, then you would find some way to make time," he pointed out. "I didn't find this out until I had gone through my third divorce, but you have the chance not to fall into the same neglectful trap that I did."

"Are you telling me that Kenta and I shouldn't have broken up?" the teen inquired.

Rossi glanced down at his daughter. "If that's the main reason you two aren't together, then yes. The small stuff is what helps a relationship grow." And that was something he did know.

"What should I do?"

Dave handed Rori a bag of Hershey Hugs. "Eat some chocolate, watch _Charade_ with your old man and call Kenta in the morning to fix things."

Rori leaned into his shoulder and wrapped an arm across his chest. "Thank you for coming."

Dave wrapped his arms around Rori. "Just don't tell the team I'm a softy. I don't need them to think I'm weak."

"Never," Rori scoffed.

0o0

Dave woke up to his younger brother, Joseph, nudging him. Dave looked around bleary eyed and pushed himself up. His back gave off a series of pops and cracks as he stretched. He and Rori had fallen asleep on the ground, and it was now morning. Sometime in the middle of the night, Kyle's kittens had migrated to Rori's makeshift bed of pillows and blankets, and were currently curled around her head as she slept soundly.

"Mom says it's time for you to get up, but Rori can still sleep." Joseph said.

"I think I need to call my chiropractor," Dave grunted. "And why does she get to sleep longer than me?

"Mom wants you to help her make breakfast."

"Of course she does."

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: A longer chapter. I'm sorry that a lot of it was conversation. This was the super chatty chapter I guess. School just gotten times easier and I'm going to have Fridays off! This is all great news because it will allow me to update on a regular basis.

Drop me a review and let me know what you think.

Ren


	12. Chapter 12

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Twelve:

August 5, 2011 Commack, Long Island

Rori stood in Commack's only full service music store quietly humming Debussy's _Clair__de__Lune._She grabbed a few packets of new violin strings. After a couple days locked away in the Rossi house, she needed to get out. She asked her uncle where she could get her various music paraphernalia and he gave her directions to Allegro Music.

The shop was cluttered with keyboards, flutes, violins, trumpets, and scores of sheet music. Rori closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The smell of wood stain in the work room at the back of the shop had made its way into the main room and it was absolutely intoxicating.

"_Clair__de__Lune_" A voice spoke from behind her.

Rori turned quickly and backed up. She laughed lightly and glanced at the young shop employee. He was tall and had sandy blond hair and light blue eyes.

"I take it you're a violinist," the guy said as he gestured to the package of strings she held in her hand. "My name's Patrick," he introduced.

"Rori," she said simply. She looked at the strings and smiled. "Yes, I play the violin, cello, and piano."

"Impressive," Patrick grinned. He looked at the strings again and noticed that they were the most expensive set of strings they sold. "You don't go for the cheap stuff either."

"I guess it depends on the sound you're going for when play classical pieces and compose on one violin, it helps to have it sound right," Rori explained.

"You compose?" Patrick asked as he leaned against the wall. "Are you some sort of music prodigy?"

"I just like music," Rori said as she turned to move on with her shopping excursion. She grabbed a couple of new stacks of blank sheet music. "I'm thinking of tuning my piano when I get back home. Do you have tuning forks for sale?"

"What kind of piano do you have?" Patrick asked following her through the store.

"It's an old Steinway," Rori answered. It was the best piano Rori had ever had the pleasure of playing. The sound was pure, and it was a high quality baby grand. Her father may not have played it before Rori moved in, but at least he knew quality when he saw it. She suspected that he got the piano for Joseph back when family events were held at his house.

"Say it isn't so," Patrick stated happily. "Where have you been my whole life? Nobody around here puts the care and attention into their instruments. They let quality go to ruin. It's maddening," he crossed his arms and grinned widely as he studied Rori.

"Well, I grew up in California," Rori sighed wishing her brother would come in with her dad, or better yet, Mama Rossi. She wasn't quite sure how to tell Patrick that his attempts at conversation were freaking her out.

"So, you're new to Commack," Patrick guessed. He thought about the many places he could take Rori if she was looking for a tour of the town. "If you want, I can show you the sights."

Rori shook her head, uninterested. "I'm only visiting my grandparents for the week. I go back home to Virginia on Sunday," she smiled.

"Oh," Patrick's voice dropped slightly, and he cursed himself for assuming too much.

"Rori," Kyle called from the front of the shop. "Dave's waiting for us. Mama Rossi just called and she says that Joseph wants you to play something with him when we get back to the house."

Rori looked at Patrick. "That's my brother; can I see your tuning forks? I just can't use my friends now that he's going to school out of state."

"Do you even have money for a full tuning fork set?" Patrick asked.

"I have Daddy's credit card," Rori answered. "He knows I've come to do damage."

"All righty then," Patrick clapped his hands together and headed for the front of the shop. "I'll grab our finest set, throw in a tuning lever and some felt strips for your hammers."

"That would be great," Rori said. She started thinking about what she would have to do when she got home. The piano was in need of a small tuning, and maintainance. She would replace the worn felt on the hammers, and after all that was done, the piano would be ready for a new year of composing with her best friend.

Ten minutes later, Rori left the music shop to find her brother leaning against the window. His head was bent down as he quickly texted. He glanced up at Rori and eyed the paper bag she hugged to her body. "It's really strange having you as a sister," he said as he shook his head. "Instead of buying shoes, clothes, and handbags-"

"Do messenger bags count?" Rori asked with a grin. "Because I have a tub of them under my bed."

"You buy violin strings and horse hair for your bows," Kyle finished with a sigh.

"Oh," Rori moaned. "I knew there was something I forgot."

"We're not going back," Kyle stated gently grabbing her arm and guiding her down the street. He wasn't about to wait another half hour just for her to get bow strings.

Rori sighed. "It's just as well," she said quietly. "The guy running the shop wasn't very good at making a pass."

"He didn't try some lame, dorky line on you," Kyle started. After Rori didn't say anything he looked at her in concern. "Did he?"

"Not really," Rori shrugged as she hugged the bag tighter. "But I could totally see it coming. "Well, if you ever need someone to _tune_ your piano." Wink wink, Nudge."

Kyle winced in distaste. "Let's not tell your dad that little joke," he said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"It's pretty bad, isn't it?" Rori asked with a small laugh.

"Just a bit," Kyle said holding up two fingers to indicate a small amount. He looked up at the sky.

"Okay," Rori laughed. She took a deep breath to get herself under control. "New topic of discussion, please." She and Kyle slowed their walking to move at a more leisurely pace.

"Why couldn't Dave run errands with us?" Kyle asked. He hadn't seen Dave more than ten feet from his daughter since he had arrived in Commack. Then again, Kyle and Rori were attached at the hip too. He hadn't been to Commack before, and he later discovered that this was Rori's first trip to Long Island as well.

"He went to Emma's grave," Rori answered. "Grandma says that Emma and Dave were really great childhood friends, and she was his first love."

"What about Mom?" Kyle asked. Rori and Kyle had talked for hours on end about Christine, and Kyle could actually say that he knew what she was like.

"Emma and Dad were star-crossed lovers," Rori shrugged. "Careers got in the way, and Dad met Carolyn, them Mom. Love is weird I think."

"Oh dear god," Kyle groaned. He couldn't believe he had just heard his sister say something like that. "You aren't one of those people who don't believe in the idea that love exists, are you?" he asked looking at her face.

"Of course not!" Rori exclaimed. "I love you. I love Dad. I love-" Rori blushed and closed her mouth quickly. She stared at the ground and hugged her bag tighter. The eighteen year old bit her lip and quickened her pace just the slightest bit.

Kyle sighed. "You were about to say Kenta." He blew out a breath as he linked his fingers and stretched his arms above his head. "Dave told you to get back together with him, so why haven't you called him up. I mean if you were about to say you loved Kenta Kayashima, I would have thought you would have fixed things by now."

"I don't want to talk about Kenta," Rori whispered. The fact that she hadn't called him just proved to herself how afraid she was to find that he had moved on.

David came walking towards them. He smiled when he saw the two siblings waling together. After a nice visit at Emma's grave, he was ready to spend time with family. "Hey you guys," he greeted. He zeroed in on Rori's paper bag and took a deep breath. "How much damage did you do this time?"

Rori bit her lip in embarrassment. "I had to get some strings, and felt for the hammers on the piano, a tuning lever, and tuning forks. I forgot new bow string, but I could still use my low quality bow in the meantime."

"You're not going to tell me how much you spent are you?" Dave asked as he crossed his arms. This would be the second time this had happened. It wasn't like he couldn't afford it, but he always wondered how she could manage to spend so much money on music supplies.

"I hear Grandma is making ravioli tonight," Rori smiled in an attempt to change the topic. "Do you think she'll put meat in them?"

"Rori! I gave the credit card to you so you're never without two sources of money, not so you can go on shopping sprees when you feel like it."

"I needed new felt for the piano, and Kaoru is in New York already for school," Rori explained. "I can't just ask him to come down just so he can tune my piano." Rori's face fell when she realized that she had just thrown Kyle a bone.

Kyle snorted and covered his mouth with a hand. Rori narrowed her eyes and kicked him in the leg. "I never should have said something!"

"Too late," Kyle choked out dodging another kick. "It's the wrong twin too," he smirked.

"Stop!" Rori cried jumping forward. She was practically pleading with her brother while stifling her laughter.

"Did I miss something?" Dave asked eyeing both of them suspiciously. Obviously there was a part of the conversation missing.

Both college students sobered up quickly. "Nothing!" they chorused. The closed their mouths and walked ahead of Dave.

Dave began to grumble incoherently as he mentally went through every single possible point that Kyle and Rori refused to discuss with him. There were just certain things you didn't talk about, and the list kept growing. There was PMS (Dave felt himself shiver as it was something he never talked about), sex (even more shivering), Scotland, proper wardrobe, anime conventions. The list was extensive and there were many reasons that the list was long. Either it wasn't discussed because it was too personal, or the conversation ran the risk of lasting several hours given the correct venue.

"Dad, you really don't want to know," Rori smiled happily. "How was your visit with Emma at the graveyard?"

Dave stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground. "It was nostalgic. I don't know how to describe it actually. I know that realistically that she can't hear me, but it was nice to tell her about the two of you."

"Gloating about how amazing your second wife's kids are to your first love seems kind of odd," Kyle pointed out. Rori swatted him in the stomach and he snapped his head in her direction. "What! It is odd!"

"I don't think it is," Dave said with a small smile. "Emma and I were best friends. Even though we didn't end up together, she still would want to know what was going on in my life. You guys are a part of it and the past few years have been interesting to say the least."

"You mean something like Emma's now dead husband who hired Bosola to kill people. The part where Ian Doyle killed Emily, or the fact that I've been stalked by two serial killers. Maybe the day I found out I had a brother. There was the Prince of Darkness, JJ departure, and don't get me started on the Reaper and how he almost killed my little Jack Attack."

Rossi just stared at Rori. Obviously, she had been talking to Garcia a little too much seeing as the last time Rori was in trouble, Garcia ranted on the telephone almost that same exact speech. He would have to talk to the techie about discussing cases with his eighteen year old daughter.

"That's a real awesome couple of years, Dad," Rori stated dully.

"It's better to talk about it then just say everything is okay," Dave said. "You know that much is true. Talking about something is the best way to let it all go."

"I guess that's true," Rori hummed.

Dave put a smile on his face and placed a hand on each child's back. "Come on," he prompted. "Let's go home before my mother sends out a search party. We've been gone for long enough," he joked.

The three of them headed for Dave's car when they were stopped by a row of men. Rori clutched her bad as she studied them with careful eyes. All three men were sharply dressed and held a steely glare on Dave.

"What are you doing here, Rossi?" the middle man asked in contempt. He had light blond hair and cold blue eyes. He briefly glanced at Rori and Kyle before looking back at Dave.

"I'm just visiting family with my kids, Allen," Dave said calmly. He recognized them as associated of the late Ray Finnegan, so he knew not to step on their toes. "There's no need to create a scene in public."

"Ray Finnegan's dead because of you," Allen stated. He puffed his chest out like a small child trying to look big. "That doesn't sit well with us, and you just show up back here acting like nothing happened."

Rori stepped forward and held her hand out and put a venomous smile on her face. She didn't like these men at all, and she wasn't trying to hide it either. "Hello there," she greeted in an air of mock civility. "I don't believe we've been introduced. My name is Rori Rossi. I'm his daughter," she said pointing to her dad. "Is there a problem?"

The man stared at the hand in contempt. "Get your hand out of my face," he grunted.

Rori frowned and withdrew her hand before putting a finger on her chin in thought. "Didn't Bosola murder Ray Finnegan?" she asked no one in particular as her gaze shifted to the sky in thought. "And wasn't Bosola a hired gun for a federal judge? I fail to see how my father is responsible for a friend's death." She mused. She hugged her bag and gave them a toothy grin.

"You've got a smart mouth," Allen said glaring at Rori.

"Thanks. It's a natural defense against stupidity," Rori retorted. She kept her gaze on Allen, quietly challenging him to give her another chance to say something more. "Cat got your tongue?" she asked when he didn't speak.

Dave placed a hand on the back of Rori's neck and gently pushed her forward. "Excuse me, gentlemen," he said politely. "We have an early departure tomorrow, and we haven't packed." Kyle followed quietly behind Rossi and Rori.

"If you show up here again, I'd watch your back," Allen threatened.

Rori tried to turn, but Dave kept her walking ahead. "Don't antagonize them any further," he said.

"He just threatened you," Rori said harshly. She crossed her arms, wondering why she had to be nice to men like that.

"Your daughter better be careful too," Allen snickered.

Dave froze and it was Kyle's turn to react. "Good luck," he called. He wasn't please with someone threatening Dave, and now Rori was in the cross hairs. "Touch my stepdad or sister and you'll have the BAU to answer to."

Rori looked at her dad. "I guess they got you to react," she blinked.

"They won't do anything," Dave said. It was more to get himself to calm down and start the blood flow again than anything else. "Ray Finnegan wouldn't tolerate it, and they won't soil his name after he's died. Let's go home."

Kyle looked at the men once more before walking alongside Rori. Dave strolled a couple steps behind to act as a buffer for any more shots aimed at the family. Something told Kyle that it would be a while before the three of them returned to Commack, but that was okay. School started in a couple weeks and they would be too busy anyway.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: A new chapter for all of you guys to enjoy. Sorry it's taken so long. Things have been hectic with the start of National Novel Writing Month. I've started two new projects, and it's sure to be a treat for myself should I finish that 50,000 word mark by the end of November. As for Judgement, we're going into the start of the timeline for the new season, so things are about to get interesting. And after this most recent episode it seems like I don't have to hate David Rossi.

**GREAT NEWS! Ibuprofen and Plasma has been nominated for TWO Profiler's Choice Awards on the Chit Chat on Author's Corner Forum here on the site! It has been nominated for Best Het Romance AND Best Characterization of Spencer Reid. There are some great stories in both categories, but I wouldn't feel right if I didn't say VOTE FOR IBUPROFEN AND PLASMA, so… VOTE FOR IBUPROFEN AND PLASMA. Seriously though, thank you to everyone who nominated me, it's a true honor to be among some amazing authors in both categories. One of my one-shots has also been nominated in the Best Emily/Garcia. It's called Pygmalion, so I recommend that you check that one out too… Just saying. **

**Also, the rest of the categories have some really great writers, and even better stories than mine. Check them out and submit the final ballot by the end of November. **

Drop me a review letting me know what you think.

Ja ne

Ren


	13. Chapter 13

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Thirteen:

September 30, 2011

Dave sat in his office looking at his picture of Rori. It was a new photo as she hung off of Kyle's back. The twins were in the background talking. The photo was taken only a week before the school year. Rori ended up on the couch for the rest of the day because she had pulled the healing muscle in her abdomen, but she was convinced that the shot had been completely worth it.

The team had just started looking into Ian Doyle again. Dave had just gotten back from Declan's home. Three people were dead, a boy was missing, and all Dave wanted to do was call Rori and listen to her ramble on about her day, her classes, and her homework. He knew the chances of him going home tonight were remote. Rori would understand though. She hated everything about Ian Doyle.

Dave stood up from his spot at the desk and made his way to the interrogation room. He dialed Rori as he stared at Doyle's rugged features. A couple months shacked up in a dingy apartment had not been kind to him.

"Hey, Dad," Rori answered. He heard her rummaging through the kitchen. "Sorry for all the background noise. I'm trying to get a sauce pan out so I can make some soup for me and Kyle."

"I guess you figured out that I won't be home soon," Dave sighed. Rori only made soup when she was eating alone with Kyle. She only did it when she knew Dave was in town, but wasn't going to be home until late. Otherwise, the two of them created a weekly dinner menu before they went to the grocery store.

"Garcia texted me," Rori said quietly as she stopped looking for a saucepan. Dave was thankful for the absent clanging on the other end of the phone. "Ian Doyle is back." The loud clashes returned and Dave winced.

"Someone took his son," Dave said. "We need him to tell us who would go after the boy."

"You're wasting your time," Rori said bitterly. "The only person that could get him to talk would be Emily. And we all know that's not possible."

"We have to try," Dave stated. "Have you talked to Kenta yet?"

"No," Rori admitted. Dave was reminded of a small child who knew that they had done something wrong. "He's been ignoring my calls, and I can't seem to catch him at school."

"Why don't you go to his house?" Dave suggested. "Kimi would be happy to let you in. I think she misses you coming around."

"I'll try," Rori sighed. There was a long pause on the line and Dave looked around. "Dad, be careful. Doyle is no joke, and the last thing I need is to have him be responsible for another team member's death."

"Stay safe, too," Dave smiled.

"I love you, Dad," Rori said.

Dave heard the kitchen faucet turn on. He smiled before letting out a sigh. "I love you, too." He hung up and looked at the door as Strauss walked in.

"Talking to your daughter?" she asked tightly. She wasn't angry with him. No, it was Ian Doyle who sat on the other side of the glass.

"I was just letting her know that I wouldn't be home any time soon."

Strauss stared at the interrogation room. She didn't like any of this. She knew that Doyle needed to be stopped, but now, a boy was missing. She couldn't imagine what was going through that child's mind. What's more, it didn't look like there were concerned parents. Sure, Ian Doyle was worried, but he had been out of Declan's life for a long time. Doyle may not have taken Declan, but she would be hard pressed to find any other reason the boy would have been snatched from his home. She turned on her heel and left the small, claustrophobic room. This case made her feel compelled to call her own kids. Any case with a kid did this. She had to check in on each of them.

Rossi sighed and tried to think positive thoughts. He had been in the position of concerned parent more than once, and it was not a feeling that one got used to. Declan was just a kid, and there were so many things that could go wrong. Dave shook the thoughts away quickly. He had to remain positive. It would be the only way he could get through this. He had talked to Rori. She was okay, and somehow, it made him feel like Declan Doyle would be safe too.

Hotch came into the room and Dave turned to look at him. His hands were planted just about his hips and he couldn't help but note the beard that Aaron now sported. "Well, that's a good look," he said slowly.

Hotch looked up from his phone as he stood next to the senior agent and acknowledged him. He had just sent Morgan a text saying that Gerace was their prime suspect in the case.

"How was the desert?" Dave asked.

"Hot," Hotch answered simply.

"Have you seen Jack yet?" Rossi asked. He knew that the minute Aaron had stepped foot on American soil, his thoughts would have immediately gone to the small boy.

'No," Hotch answered almost sadly. "Jessica took him to Hershey Park for the weekend."

"Well, he'll love that beard."

"Yeah. We Skyped every day. He's not a fan," Hotch smiled. The beard would be one of the first things to go after this case. "How's Rori taking to the new school year?"

"She's doing fine as always," Rossi said. "She's still tiptoeing around talking to Kenta, but it's to be expected. She's just a moody teenager."

Hotch snickered as he started texting again. He listened to Ian Doyle and Morgan talk. He knew that they would have to bring in Emily. She was the one person who could get Ian Doyle to talk. There wasn't time, and Morgan wouldn't be able to get Doyle talking fast enough. Hotch was determined to get Declan back.

Rossi slid his glance in the direction of their team leader. He could tell that something was up. Hotch was not talking about something, and Dave had a feeling that it was important.

Hotch looked at Rossi. "Can you get the team in the conference room?" he asked. "I'll get JJ."

Dave nodded slowly. An unpleasant feeling had just settled in his gut, and he didn't like it. "Sure thing."

0o0o0o0

Rori lifted her closed fist to knock on the tall, clean, white door of the Kayashima household. She pulled her hand back in hesitation. She knew it was late, and she should have waited until the next day. However, with her dad out of the house, and Kyle at some sort of late night study session at Davis', she had been left to her thoughts. If she didn't do this, then she wouldn't be able to continue on with her life the way it was going. It was lonely and disconcerting to think that she only had her brother to talk to.

The front door opened, and Rori jumped back in surprise. Kimi Kayashima smiled at her gently, and the teenager couldn't help by smile back. It was a welcome sight for both of them.

"Hi, Kimi-kaasan," Rori greeted timidly. The added _kaasan_was a term of endearment. Kimi had been like a mother to Rori after her mom died, and calling her "Mother Kimi" didn't seem to work.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Kimi stated knowingly. "Kenta is up in his room working on some homework."

"Should I come back?" Rori asked as she pointed to her black Mustang that had been parked in front of the house.

"No," Kimi said quickly. She wasn't about to watch Kenta AND Rori mope about because they couldn't figure things out. It was depressing. "He could actually use a break. He's been burning the candle at both ends since the two of you broke up." Kimi moved out of the way and gestured to Rori for her to come in.

Rori stepped into the house and looked around furtively. Kimi looked over and decided just to touch base with the girl. It had been a couple months since they had spoken.

"How's your abdomen?" she asked.

Rori put a hand on her flat stomach and grimaced. "It hurts still. The doctor told me that it will hurt for a long time. Not as much of course, but I can't reach up to grab something. It's kind of annoying."

"I bet your escapade in California didn't help your recovery any," Kimi said.

Rori shook her head and winced. California. She should have expected that Kimi would bring it up. She wouldn't be doing her duty as a mother if she didn't point out the obvious mistakes that the kids had made."

"Go on up and talk to Kenta," Kimi smiled. "I'll be in the kitchen cleaning up the mess my son made when he tried to cook dinner."

Rori laughed slightly. Kenta couldn't cook to save his life. His twin was the chef of the family, but with Kaoru up in New York attending classes at Julliard, they left Kimi to cook. Rori made her way up to the second floor. She turned down a long hall and made her way to Kenta's bedroom. She pushed the slightly ajar door open.

Kenta looked up from his desk and pulled his headphones out of his ears. He swallowed when he saw Rori standing there. "Rori?" he asked after he swallowed.

"Can we talk?" Rori asked.

0o0o0o0

Dave stared at the dark hair woman. Hotch had just revealed to the entire team that Emily was alive. She didn't die in Boston like they had believed. She hadn't been in the casket they had buried. The headstone lied. She hadn't died. She was actually alive, and Dave was at a loss for words.

He had always suspected that something was off, but he had never thought it would be even close to something like this. Of course, it was all done to save Emily's life, but it was hard to push away the sense of betrayal that was slowly creeping in.

He would let Emily deal with Doyle. There wasn't much that he himself could do at this point in the chase to find Declan. He would sit on the other side of the glass watching Emily as she for the desired information form Doyle. He would be there when the FBI got Declan back, but their profile was complete for the most part, and they could complete it when Emily found out why the boy had been taken.

He hadn't heard anything from Rori, and he hoped that she was okay. He suddenly wondered how she would take the news that Prentiss was alive and well. She had been extremely angry and hurt for a couple months after Emily's supposed death. She had lost a friend.

Dave moved to his office as Emily made her way to the interrogation room. He glanced over at Hotch before he left the team. He pulled his phone out and dialed Rori. He tried to convince himself that he was just calling to check in with her, but he knew that he had to be the one to tell Rori about Prentiss. Hearing it from her father and not from some other member of the team would probably yield better results.

Dave let out a sigh when her phone went straight to voicemail. "_Hey__there!__You__'__re__listening__to__Rori__'__s__Voicemail,__"_ Rori's voice chimed in his ear. He smiled as he remembered the day she had recorded the message. "_And__while__I__'__m__stating__the__obvious,__I__should__also__let__you__know__that__I__can__'__t__answer__the__phone__right__now.__Leave__a__message,__and__I__'__ll__get__back__to__you.__"_

Dave waited for the tell-tale beep and sighed. "Rori, I was just calling to check in on you. You probably have headphones in or something that prevents you from hearing Frank Sinatra sing "New York, New York". Call me back when you get the chance."

Dave hung up as Garcia came to the door. "It looks like Doyle's talking to Emily," she said. She noticed that slightly downcast expression of Dave's face. "Is everything all right?" she asked.

Dave nodded. There was nothing wrong; he was just lost in his thoughts. Thoughts of Emily, thoughts of the thin ice the team was on, thoughts of Ian Doyle, thoughts of Rori. His mind was a disorganized mess of concern, worry and slight elation. "Everything's fine," he told Garcia before he moved to leave the office.

0o0o0o0

Rori sat on the edge of Kenta's bed. She stared at the ground and picked at her nail absently. She looked up through her bangs. "I keep missing you at school," she said.

"Sorry," Kenta stated awkwardly. "I have a pretty full schedule this semester."

"Me too," Rori nodded slightly. "I never thought things would end up this way."

"Huh?" Kenta asked confused.

Rori pushed her bangs to the side of her face so that she could see Kenta clearly. Her black glasses slid to the edge of her nose. As the weather got colder she abandoned her contacts for her glasses. "We were best friends, then we started dating, we broke up, and now we don't talk to each other. If I had known this would have happened, maybe I would have tried harder."

"This isn't just your fault," Kenta said running a hand through his hair. He didn't want to admit it, but the past month and a half had been excruciatingly painful. He missed having Rori around, and more importantly, he had missed her. "It takes two to tango." He smiled when Rori giggled.

"It's so like you to say something like that," Rori smiled. She grew serious again. "Why did we break up?"

"We didn't have time for each other to actually have a relationship," Kenta answered. It wasn't because there weren't feelings between the two. They had just both kind of agreed that they didn't have time to show those feelings.

"But that's just it," Rori stated. "We could have made time. It wouldn't have been hard. Like the beginning of our freshman year. We studied together, we ate lunch together. Why didn't we try to make it work again?"

"I don't know," Kenta spoke softly after a beat of silence.

Rori stood up and started pacing the room. "I have been completely miserable this past month and a half, but I held off coming to talk to you because I was afraid."

Kenta was starting to get dizzy as he tried to keep his eyes on Rori, but she was moving too much. "Afraid of what?" he asked as he looked at the ground to catch his breath.

Rori stopped walking and took a deep breath. "I was afraid that you had moved on to someone else," she said.

"Funny, I thought the same thing about you," Kenta stated looking up.

Rori shook her head. "I can't find someone like you in a month and a half. And that would have to mean I was looking, and I wasn't."

"Did you come here to see if we could get back together?" Kenta asked. There was the slightest hint of hope in his voice.

Rori looked at Kenta and bit her lip. "I don't think we should have broken up just because we weren't willing to make an effort in something that requires it," she admitted honestly. This wasn't the time to skirt about the topic at hand. "I love you, and you know me. Love is not a word I use lightly. I am always happy around you, and I can't ever remember a time you weren't there. I'm only eighteen years old, and I feel like I've found the best part of my life is by your side. How pathetic is that? I mean, to be eighteen and in love. It's kind of crazy, but it's true. Oh my God, this better not be one of those stupid phases teenagers go through."

Kenta's eyes widened at Rori's confession. This was from the heart. It wasn't like the small declarations she would leave him with when they parted ways at school. It wasn't the same as when she would kiss him good night. He looked at her to see that she was just as shocked at her words as he was.

Kenta pushed himself out of his desk chair with a smile. "You let yourself ramble again," he told her. "It's one of the many things I love about you."

Rori covered her face with her hands. "See!" she moaned. "I can't even form clear thoughts about my feelings. I just ramble on about stupid stuff."

Kenta pulled Rori into a hug. "They don't need to be clear for me to understand what you mean. I love you, too," he held her close and she started to laugh for no apparent reason. Kenta grinned and squeezed her tightly. "I've missed you."

0o0o0o0

The team sat in the conference room in silence. Ian Doyle was dead, Declan was safe, and Emily Prentiss was alive. It was a lot for any member to take in at one time. They had worked through the night and exhaustion was setting in on each agent in different ways. Dave mechanically messed with his FBI ring as he pulled it off and put it back on. Garcia had lost a bit of her pep. Morgan was tapping a pen against the table. No one was focused on one thing.

Prentiss wanted to speak, but she doubted that there would be anyway to reach every single member of the team. She smiled over at JJ, and turned to see Reid scanning a book with a blank look on his face.

Meanwhile, at the entrance of the BAU, Rori, Kyle, and Kenta stepped out of the elevator. Kyle held three boxes of assorted doughnuts and breakfast pastries from a small shop in the heart of Quantico. Kenta and Rori held three trays of custom coffee orders. Rori had done enough coffee runs to know the team's favorites, but had ordered a couple regular coffee's in case they weren't in the mood for the usual.

"I wonder if Strauss will tell us to leave," Kenta said as he looked around.

"Doubtful,' Rori answered dully. "She's not the same pain in the ass as before. It must have been all that time off."

"Who's Strauss?" Kyle asked. He only knew the members of the team, but that was it. Unlike Rori, he didn't' make weekly trips to the BAU.

"She's the BAU's Section Chief," Kenta answered quickly. "She handles all the politics involved with the BAU. Hands over cases to Hotch, Morgan, and Rori's dad. She occasionally will step in for the evaluations."

"Oh," Kyle hummed. "She doesn't like people visiting?"

"Before she didn't, but she left for a bit, and now she's back. She seems to have grown a human heart," Rori explained. "As long as we stay out of the way, she's okay with us being here. It's kind of weird."

Kenta looked up at the conference room when he found the bullpen desks empty. "I bet they're in the conference room," he said. "Let's head on up."

Rori couldn't shake away that the feeling that something was off. The BAU was somewhat quiet, too quiet for her liking. There was always a buzz going around, and today it was absent. She had expected to see everyone running around the BAU or packing up to leave. She hurried over to the conference room and put on a cheery smile.

"Good morning, everyone!" she greeted happily. She moved over to a side table and set the two drink trays down. "Kenta, Kyle, and I thought you could all use a pick-me-up after a hard nights work."

Dave looked at Rori in surprise. What was she doing here? Had she gotten his voicemail? Was that fresh coffee he smelled?

Kenta and Kyle stepped into the room with smiled. "We come bearing coffee and breakfast pastries," Kyle said as Kenta moved to Rori's side. The two of them started whispering quietly. Kyle's eyes settled on the new comer.

"We ordered everyone's favorites," Rori continued talking with her back to the team. "Some extra pastries for the other people who work here, too. We won't stay long; we just thought you would like real coffee, unlike the stuff they have here for you to drink."

Prentiss stood up slowly. She watched Rori move around. She hadn't had the opportunity to ask Rossi how she was doing. She knew that she probably shouldn't have been seen until someone had told the teen that she was alive, but there wasn't much she could do at this point. Rori was here, and she was going to see Emily.

Rori turned around holding her own latte. Her smile disappeared when she saw Emily standing in front of her and dropped the paper cup in surprise. She blinked hoping that the apparition would disappear, but Emily was still standing in front of her. "What?" she whispered as the color drained from her face.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: Brand new chapter for a brand new season I suppose. I guess for this universe, the chapter needed to be more focused on what happened after Ian Doyle died, and Rori and Kenta needed to get back together at some point. I hope you all enjoyed it.

**GREAT NEWS! Ibuprofen and Plasma has been nominated for TWO Profiler's Choice Awards on the Chit Chat on Author's Corner Forum here on the site! It has been nominated for Best Het Romance AND Best Characterization of Spencer Reid. There are some great stories in both categories, but I wouldn't feel right if I didn't say VOTE FOR IBUPROFEN AND PLASMA, so… VOTE FOR IBUPROFEN AND PLASMA. Seriously though, thank you to everyone who nominated me, it's a true honor to be among some amazing authors in both categories. One of my one-shots has also been nominated in the Best Emily/Garcia. It's called Pygmalion, so I recommend that you check that one out too… Just saying. **

**Also, the rest of the categories have some really great writers, and even better stories than mine. Check them out and submit the final ballot by the end of November. **

Drop me a review letting me know what you think.

Ren


	14. Chapter 14

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Fourteen:

October 1, 2011

Dave found himself in a position that he had been hoping to avoid until he could come up with a way to explain the situation. There wasn't much he could do now, but he also didn't want to see the situation rapidly degrade into what was certain to be a strenuous conversation for all parties.

Kyle dropped the boxes of pastries on the counter before moving over to Rori. He looked at the standing brunette. He knew that this was Emily Prentiss, but that couldn't be possible. She was dead. Rori had told him that she had been murdered back in March.

Kenta looked from Prentiss to Dave. "What kind of sick joke is this?" he asked. He gestured to Prentiss with a wave of his hand. "Isn't she supposed to be dead?"

Prentiss sighed as she moved a hand over her stomach where she had been stabbed with the plank of wood. "No need to sugar coat it," she said.

Rori stepped away from her brother. "But the hospital, and the funeral," she said quietly. She looked at JJ. "You said she didn't make it off the table. I-I . . ."

"Rori, I'm so sorry," Prentiss started talking.

"We buried you!" Rori exclaimed. She felt her chest tighten as her mind ran wild. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move. She had watched her casket lower into the ground. The same way she had with her mom. She had played her violin even composed a new song. Prentiss was supposed to be dead, and yet, she was standing there.

Dave stood up. "Kyle, Kenta, can you take Rori to my office?" he asked trying to maintain some composure.

Rori looked at her dad. "Did you know about this?" she asked. "Did you know she was alive the entire time?"

Dave didn't speak. What was he supposed to say? He knew that something wasn't right with what happened in Boston, but he could never actually put his finger on what it was. He could never say for sure that Emily wasn't dead. He had no way to confirm it, and he hadn't exactly gone looking for answers either.

Rori broke away from her brother and rushed out of the room. Her father's silence spoke a million words and she didn't want to hear any of them. She ignored Kenta's plea to slow down.

Dave sighed and rubbed his face with a tired hand. He was in no shape to deal with an upset Rori. He was exhausted and emotionally drained. It had been a long night and more than anything, he needed sleep. He looked over at Kyle. "She'll probably run to Giles," he sighed. "Could you two make sure she's okay?"

Kyle nodded. He could see the dark bags under Dave's eyes. "Go home and get some sleep," Kyle said. He had no right to comment on anything that was going on. This had happened before he had come into Rori's life, and it was clear that everyone was tired and in no way ready to explain what was going on.

"Tell her that I'll explain everything," Dave said. He exchanged a knowing glance with Hotch. Rori was a pain in the ass when she was angry. Everyone on the team had seen it, but Dave and Hotch had seen her angry more than once. The first time was when Hotch had asked Garcia to look into the death of Rori's mom. Even after she found out the truth, she didn't trust either man for a few weeks.

Kyle nodded as he turned to leave. He would have to go to his uncles, and Rori's godfather, to find her. He didn't mind so much. Giles Barns was always telling him more about his biological parents. Rori and Giles were the only family he had left, and he wasn't about to throw it all away.

After Kyle and Kenta left the room, JJ leaned back in her seat and looked up at the ceiling. "That could have gone better," she said dully.

"Who was that guy with her?" Emily asked, referring to Kyle.

"Rori's half-brother," Dave answered. "She met him just before the whole Sorrow fiasco."

"How much did I miss?" Emily questioned as she sat down. Who the hell was Sorrow? When did Rori get a half-brother?

"Way too much to explain right now," Dave groaned.

0o0o0

Dave fell onto his mattress in the confines of his bedroom. He smiled as he sank into the soft plush pillow top. He had gotten a text from Kyle confirming that Rori was at her godfather's. That was one less thing he had to worry about.

Prentiss was back, and if he was being completely honest with himself, he wasn't sure how to deal with it. The FBI had gone to great lengths to convince everyone that she was dead. They paid for a casket, a cemetery plot. He didn't even have to think about the hospital bills involved as well. The emotional turmoil that everyone was going through was probably astronomical. They lost a family member, and suddenly it seemed like that loss didn't mean a thing. All the pain that they went through could have been avoided. It didn't have to happen, and yet they suffered for weeks, some, even months. He knew that was where Rori would stand on the matter. He wondered if she would tell Prentiss all of this. He hoped that the team would be able to deal with this. Especially since their actions in this case were sure to attract the attention of the US government.

Dave rolled onto his back and looked at the ceiling. Only seconds ago, sleep was pulling him into a world of Egyptian cotton sheets, comfort, and mindless bliss, and suddenly, he knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep until he put thoughts of a government review of his team to rest. Would the team be broken up because of what happened with Ian Doyle and his son?

0o0o0o0

October 10, 2011

Rori stood in front of the engraved tombstone that mocked her. Its cold stone lied to her face and she couldn't feel like she had opened herself up to the idea of having another family member, only to be betrayed. It was immature, she realized, but she couldn't help but feel that way. She was hurt.

"It's a liar," a voice came from behind her.

Rori turned around and narrowed her eyes at the woman. "What are you doing here?" she asked. She crossed her arms and put all her weight on one foot.

"Well, it IS my grave," Emily stated matter of factly. She tucked her hands into her wind breaker. "I haven't been able to check in on my favorite college student for the past seven months. Apparently I missed a lot."

"Of course you did. You're supposed to be dead," Rori said. She winced when she realized just how harsh her words were. "Not that I want you dead. I just mean that if I knew you were alive, I would have tried to keep you up to date with the latest happenings in the Rossi family. It was a real blast," she said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, Rori," Emily said. "You have to know that at the time, I didn't have a choice. I had to disappear while Doyle was still out in the world."

"Oh no," Rori began. "I understand that. _That_ was explained to me. I'm not angry about _that._" Emily couldn't help but flinch with the added emphasis.

"What are you angry about then?" Prentiss asked. She took the last few steps to get closer to Rori. "Rori, you're avoiding everyone at the BAU. Is there anything I can do to fix this?"

"Emily, you could have avoided _all_ of this," Rori said as she took a few step back. "Ian Doyle came after you and everyone who made his life a living hell back at Interpol. If you had told someone about all of this, it never would have happened. All of the pain, all of the trouble, all of it!" she screamed that last part.

"I couldn't tell anyone," Emily said. She knew Rori was angry, she tried to stay calm. That would be the only way she could get out of this alive.

"That's bull shit!" Rori shouted. She narrowed her eyes even more. "Interpol and the FBI have worked together more than once. They could have opened up about this because you are the one thing they had in common, and you were in trouble. If you had just told the team, then people wouldn't have died. You wouldn't have had to go into hiding. You wouldn't have been hurt."

"Rori, you can't possible understand the complexities of Interpol's case against Ian Doyle," Emily stated adamantly. "You just don't understand where I was coming from."

"You're right," Rori admitted. She looked around and threw her hands up in aggravation. "I can't possibly understand how you could keep the fact that you were in trouble from your friends and family. I can't understand how you think that coming out of the woodwork after seven months of grieving is just okay. I'm not okay with that, Emily. I'm just not."

Rori wiped her eyes with the back of her hand when she realized that she was crying. "I'm not okay with that," she repeated.

"I never expected you to be," Emily said after a moment of silence passed between the two. She looked at her name engraved in the slab of granite. "I'm sorry about hurting you. I really am."

Rori bit her lip. She had been there long enough. She had said her piece. "Just don't mess up the Senate Committee hearing tomorrow," she stated. She turned to leave. She had class in an hour and had to drive into Georgetown. It would take some time, and she was always early. "I have to go."

"Rori, I'm sorry," Emily said quickly. She didn't like to see Rori turn her back so quickly.

"Well there's not much we can do now," Rori said. "Is there?"

Rori walked off stubbornly and left Prentiss standing alone in the graveyard. Prentiss sighed and started picking at her nails. She didn't like that everyone was keeping her at arm's length, but she didn't really expect it to be any different for the next few weeks. Trying to get everyone's trust back would be the real task.

0o0o0o0

Later that night, Rori sat in her bedroom with Kyle. They sat on her bed watching TV. Dave had been home on suspension for the last week and he had been moody the entire time. He could have written an entire book, but he as too preoccupied with the senate committee.

"I tried to make a sandwich and he started interrogating me," Kyle reported. He grabbed a small round stuffed animal from Rori's personal stash and threw it up in the air to rid himself of all the nervous tension.

"Why do you think I've set up camp in here? The last time I went outside, he was convinced I was sneaking out to have sex with Kenta," Rori grumbled. "I'm afraid to leave my room."

"What do you think will happen at this hearing?" Kyle asked.

Rori sank into her pile of pillows and blew out a sigh. "The Committee will try to come up with a reason not to support Dad's team, and then Emily will convince them otherwise. She has always had a way with words when the time comes. She would have been a great politician."

"Didn't you say she hates politics?" Kyle asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Oh, she does," Rori answered. "That doesn't mean she wouldn't be totally great at it. I would bet money that Emily saves the day at the Senate Committee."

0o0o0o0

October 11, 2011

Dave sat in his office as relief washed over him. The team wasn't going to be split up. Emily Prentiss had saved their butt. She didn't reveal what she had said, but obviously it had been enough to stop the Senate Committee from breaking the team up and making their suspension permanent.

His phone started to sing "My funny Valentine" and he pulled it from his pocket. "Hello, Rori," he said tiredly.

"How did it go?" Rori asked skipping all formalities. She had been waiting to call all day. She even bribed Agent Anderson with her special cookies if he called her when they all came back to the BAU.

"Emily managed to keep us all from being fired."

"Good," Rori answered. "Can you do something for me?" she asked.

"What do you need this time, Rori?" he asked. He wondered what insane idea had come up into her head already.

"Tell Emily to meet me at the Library of Congress tomorrow at noon for a special Birthday adventure," Rori said.

Dave shook his head. Only Rori would remember a birthday while the others were concerned with a hearing that determined the fate of their team. "I'll let her know."

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: The last two weeks of the semester are kind of important, but I thought I would get this chapter out to all you amazing folks. Once I finish my finals, I'll be free to write a lot during the month of January.

Anyway, drop me a review letting me know what you think.

Ren


	15. Chapter 15

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Fifteen:

October 12, 2011

Emily Prentiss found Rori standing outside the Library of Congress exactly at noon. With her hands stuffed in her jacket, Emily walked over to the teenager. "I thought you were mad at me," she said simply.

"I can be mad at you, but the fact is, we're family. I will always care about you," Rori answered. She blew out a sigh and crossed her arms as she looked around. "I'm still bitter, to be honest. However, I figured everyone else would be too worried about the S`enate committee hearing to remember your birthday."

"Penelope delivered some flowers and gave me an expensive bottle of wine," Emily said. It was more to comfort herself. She didn't get anything else for her birthday, and it only further made her feel like she had ostracized herself from her friends and family. She didn't expect to get anything, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

"Pen remembers everything regardless of the current situation," Rori said. "I actually came up with this birthday adventure before you 'died'." She lifted her hands up and made air quotes with her fingers.

"You did?" Emily asked curiously.

Rori nodded and pulled a note card from her messenger bag. She held it out for Emily to take. "It's a historical Scavenger hunt. Each Card has a list of special events that took place at each landmark. You could use Google to get the answer, but where is the fun in that? I'll meet you at every landmark to give you the next clue, but only after you explain how one of the events was particularly important to our American culture."

Emily smiled. Only Rori could come up with such a unique adventure. "And we're going to fit all of this in one afternoon?"

"That's the beauty of this. I knew that at the time I started planning all of this that you might get called on a case," Rori began to explain. "This scavenger hunt will take time. It can take a couple days, weeks, or even a couple of months. The point is that you spend all of your time at the BAU chasing bad guys. Maybe having an outside activity like this will help you get out of your house on your rare days off. It gives you something to do."

"So, I don't have to finish today?" Emily asked to clarify.

"I know you won't finish today," Rori answered with a smirk. "The first clue is easy enough, but just in case, you are standing in front of a library. See you at the next location." Rori waved and skipped away towards her black Mustang.

Emily looked at the card. '_1939; Marian Anderson Sings here after being denied the opportunity to sing at the nearby Constitution Hall'_ was scrawled across the top of the card in purple pen and below it in blue was another event. _August 28, 1963; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gives his famous "I Have a Dream" speech in front of millions. _

"You did say the first one was easy," Emily said to herself. She slipped the card into her purse. She was determined to keep every single card. She wondered what other location the teenager had in mind for their little adventure and another thought came to mind. Had she done this for any of the other member of their little BAU family?

Prentiss made her way to a borrowed car and tried to remember the quickest route to the Lincoln Memorial.

0o0o0o0

Later that night, Rori entered her father's place quietly. She had only managed to get one location done in her grand scavenger hunt before Emily's mother called and demanded they have dinner. Rori called an end to the day's adventure and headed home after taking a couple of snapshots of Prentiss at the Memorial. She planned on using the photos to make a personalized photo album with copies of the clues included. Then and only then, would Emily's birthday present be complete.

Dave came from the kitchen. Tonight it would be just Rori and him for dinner. Kyle had gone out with some friends from school. He smiled at his daughter warmly. "How was the birthday adventure?" he asked.

"It's only just begun," Rori said.

"I thought you were still mad at Prentiss," Dave said as he crossed his arms. He followed Rori into the living room where she sat down at the piano. "But maybe I'm wrong because you took the time to start this birthday adventure. What is the adventure?"

Rori removed her messenger bag and pulled her coat off only to lazily drop it on the floor. She slowly started to play 'Flur de Lys' as she looked up at her dad. "Just because I'm angry doesn't mean I can't take active steps to move past all of this and have a normal friendship with Emily again. We're family. We can be mad and still love each other."

Dave sat down next to her and watched her fingers float over the ivory keys. He supposed this was easy for Rori. She probably had memorized the song as a child and the movements were so mechanical that it didn't require thought. "I'm sorry you had to find out that way," he stated. He had been meaning to bring it up, but lately Rori wasn't in the mood for talking. She immersed herself in her school work and ignored some of the simplest requests. "I wanted to be the one to tell you."

"That would have been better than me initially thinking I saw a ghost," Rori said dully. "But it's done," she sighed.

"How are classes?" Rossi questioned. He thought it best to change the subject. "It sounds like you aren't as enthused with these classes that you're taking."

"They're all necessary core classes I'm required to take. I get to pick certain ones, but other ones I don't really have a choice. I have to get some history classes in at this point. A couple fine art credits. My Music History class is kind of boring."

"A music class is boring for you?" Dave asked in surprise.

Rori nodded as she shifted to the piano score of 'Colder Weather' by Zac Brown Band. "The teacher is really dry. I even finished reading the textbook on my own. I learned a couple new things, but I use my time in the class to work on more music scores or homework."

"I'm so glad I'm paying for a private education," Rossi said as he rolled his eyes. "Easy A, I guess. What about the Human Biology class you're taking?"

"That one is actually cool," Rori smiled. "The lab period is long, but we've been doing some really interesting things."

Dave mentally patted himself on the back. He had his daughter talking to him. How many fathers could say they had succeeded in such feats? Not many he guessed. "What other classes are you taking?"

"American Literature. It's not my favorite area of lit, but I guess it could be worse. At least the teacher is interesting." Rori shrugged. "Then there's my journalism class for the newspaper, and finally Philosophy. That's a fun class to listen in on, too."

"You're taking a full course load again," Dave said. He knew that she would start to feel the slightest bit under pressure as Thanksgiving came around. She would start studying for finals, and end up, in all likelihood, a frazzled mess of nerves and coffee induced insomnia. He suddenly got an idea to keep her mind in one piece. "Do you want to do a project for me?"

Rori looked up and stopped playing the piano. "What is it?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side ever so slightly.

"If you find yourself needing a break with school, would you like to write a mock review of my new book?" Dave asked her. He knew that Rori did it with almost every book she read. She had shared some of them with him before and he knew that under her bed as a binder full of short blurbs. Some were sarcastic and witty, and others were serious and well thought out. At the very least, this little project would keep Rori's mind off the current team dynamics now that Prentiss was back. He had ulterior motives, but they were in his daughter's best interests. He was sure of it.

"I haven't even read the new book," Rori said as her eyebrow knitted together in confusion. "Kyle has. I've been reading other books. You know, like The Hunger Games, mystery fluff, and the Witch and Wizard series by James Patterson."

"I get it," Dave said holding his hands up in defense. "You like fiction more than my true crime, but I know that my book is still sitting on your desk to read. Will you write a review for it?"

"I'll do it this weekend," Rori answered with a smile. She had to wonder what her dad was playing at.

Dave kissed her on the forehead. "I'm going to get dinner stated. I just gave Garcia my Pasta Pancetta recipe, so I'm in the mood for some homemade pasta."

"I love when you make fresh pasta," Rori groaned in delight.

"That's because I make the best pasta in the Rossi family," Dave said as he walked out of the room. He grinned when he knew that Rori had been successfully distracted for the moment.

"Don't let Mama Rossi hear you say that," Rori yelled.

Rori's phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket. She stared at Prentiss' new number and answered after taking a deep breath. "Hey, Emily," she greeted. "Have you had dinner with your mom yet?"

"She'll be picking me up in a few minutes," Emily said. "Rori, I just… I just wanted to thank you. Today was fun. I only hope it makes things a little better."

"No problem, Em," Rori said. The teen smiled when she realized that she had shortened Emily's name once more. Maybe she wasn't as mad as she thought. "Just let me know when you can start the hunt up once more."

Emily laughed. "I'll do that," she said. "How many places do you have planned for this scavenger hunt?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and find out," Rori said. "Enjoy dinner with your mom."

"I will," Emily said with a laugh. "Good night, Rori."

"Good night, Em."

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: So this isn't a long chapter. It was meant purely to fix Rori and Emily's relationship so I can move onto the next part of the story. The chapter provides the two with resolution and has a nice father daughter moment to boot.

Drop me a review letting me know what you think.

Ren


	16. Chapter 16

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Sixteen:

October 15, 2011

Dave sat in his office at home and was all too aware of the overwhelming silence that echoed in the halls. His home was empty, and it was slightly disconcerting. This was a feeling that he certainly wasn't comfortable with.

Sure, he had had a quiet home before, but after the arrival of Rori, there was always some sort of noise. Her dogs were always walking around and the quiet clicking of their claws on the hard wood floor was almost rhythmic. Rori was sometimes heard playing the cello or the violin in her bedroom if she wasn't playing the piano in the living room. Kyle's footsteps could be heard from above if he was home. He liked to pace the room as he read one of his many textbooks. These sounds had become something that he was used to and he could write around these sounds.

However, the house was dead silent. Rori and Kyle had taken the dogs, including his own, to some new dog park that had opened up nearby. Dave wasn't even going to attempt and search for Kyle's two kittens. They were probably tucked away in their owner's room, sleeping in the biggest patch of sunlight they could find.

This was supposed to help him write a new book, but the silence was seriously distracting. He prayed silently to the powers that be to have some noise, any noise would suffice. Why did the neighbor have to finish his remodeling? He needed something to jump start the creative juices that seemed to have stopped flowing freely through his brain. It was one thing to write a case report, it was a whole other situation to write about a case with enough fever and interest to capture the reader's mind.

It wasn't easy being a bestselling author. Mostly because after you wrote one spectacular book, you were expected to keep that up with every single book. God forbid you got tired one night and you ended up writing a couple thousand words a few pegs shy of your normal caliber. Luckily it was all caught in editing. Or so Dave hoped. It was very difficult indeed when you were a bestselling author.

"Meow."

Dave lifted his head up slightly in confusion. His eyebrows knitted together and his jaw tightened. A simple sound had broken the silence, but for the life of him he couldn't place the location. He moved his chair back and looked under the desk, and then he rolled to the left to look around the desk as he kept his eyes out for a small tan fur ball.

He pulled his chair back to the computer when he couldn't find the cat. He figured it had just been passing by when it let out a small mew. He had his fingers poised over the keyboard. He was now ready to write, but where were the words that rolled so easily from his mind to the keys? The silence was back, and he still couldn't focus.

"Meow."

Dave snapped his head up and looked around once more. Where was the cat? This time, he got out of his seat and walked to the door of his office. He poked his head into the hallway and looked in both directions. Still, there was no cat. He cautiously stepped out and moved down the hall to the main entrance. Still no cat.

"Meow"

Dave let out a grunt of frustration and began searching.

0o0

At five o'clock, Rori and Kyle stepped into the Rossi household. Rori dropped her many shopping bags while Kyle released the three dogs from their leashes. The two college student removed their coats and hung then up in the foyer closet. They looked around in mild interest before they moved farther into the house. There appeared to be no structural damage because David Rossi was facing a mortal enemy: Writer's Block.

"I hope Dad got some writing done," Rori said. "I mean, that's the whole reason we took the dogs out. Free him of distractions, and maybe the world famous profiler could manage a few thousand words of murder and mayhem."

"You can't forget the shopping at the outdoor mall, the stop at your campus so you could drop off notes for someone, lunch with Kenta and Alice, video games at Jared and Davis' place for a couple hours," Kyle listed while he stretched. The twenty minute drive back home seemed to make him feel tired and hungry. "We've had a full and eventful day. Now, I'm hungry."

Rori rolled her eyes. "You're still hungry even after you gorged on a tub full of cheese puffs at the apartment?"

Davis and Jared had been Kyle's roommates before he had moved in with Dave and Rori. The three GWU students had lived in a triple on campus, and now Davis and Jared lived in the heart of D.C. in a low rent apartment for two. Kyle spent most of his free time with them before he joined Rori and Dave in the evening.

"I think that part is rather obvious," Kyle grinned while he rubbed his stomach to get his point across. "I didn't eat nearly enough."

"What is up with guys and food?" Rori muttered wondering where he possibly put all of the calories.

Rori looked around and found the dogs curled up in their beds in the family room. She listened carefully, but heard no signs that told her that Dave was downstairs. "Dad?" she asked loudly. Her voice echoed slightly in the silent house.

Kyle and Rori looked around. Dave was never this quiet.

"Headphones?" Kyle asked wondering if perhaps Dave was listening to music and simply couldn't hear them. This happened a lot with Rori when she was working on homework. According to her, the right music had the ability to stimulate the mind while simultaneously blocking out other distractions.

"Dad doesn't like headphones," Rori shook her head and headed for her father's office. She stepped inside and found it void of all the old case files he stored in a closet. This certainly didn't feel right to her. The boxes were always out so that he could check facts. Rori walked over to the MacBook Pro and turned it on. She quickly entered the password she wasn't supposed to know and looked at the three measly paragraphs that Dave had written.

"What's his password?" Kyle asked. Dave didn't want anyone to get into his computer and he was slightly surprised to see that Rori knew what it was.

"K-R-Y-0-L-R-3-I," Rori spelled. "The K is capitalized. As is the first R."

Kyle tried to figure out the meaning behind the password and smiled. "He used our names."

Rori nodded with a smile. "The O in my name was replaced with a zero, and your E was replaced with a three. I suppose he thinks it's secure that way. I mean it took me a half hour to figure it out instead of ten minutes like the last one."

"I think Dave needs to invest in tighter computer security," Kyle muttered. He glanced around the office. "Where are all of his old cases?"

Rori moved from behind the desk and crossed her arms. "We took the SUV, but I left my keys for the mustang just in case Dad needed a car. It's still sitting in front of the garage," she said as she went over a list of possible reasons for her dad's absence.

"Hinky," Kyle said.

Rori looked at the computer screen. "Three paragraphs in and he stops." She straightened up. She made her way out of the room. "Dad?" she shouted.

There was still no response. Rori made her way towards the back deck. He wasn't upstairs. She would have heard it. The backyard was the only place left to check.

Rori and Kyle found the deck empty except for a ladder that had been left lying on the wooden porch. Rori looked up at the roof. "I have a bad feeling about this," she said with a grimace.

Kyle lifted up the ladder and rested it against the roof. "You don't think he's up there, do you?"

Rori nodded grimly. Unfortunately, the thought that her father had been stuck on the roof all day, while amusing, was slightly worrisome. She suspected some sort of Italian burst of anger to pop up as he explained to the two college student how he had ended up on the roof in the first place. "This ladder only gets brought out for the holidays. I made him decorate the house for Christmas. It wasn't a pleasant experience, and I think I learned more Italian that day than any other given day of the year. Not Italian I can use, but I learned some colorful words."

"Why didn't he call us if he got stuck on the roof? Why was he on the roof?" Kyle asked. His face was creased in confusion as he looked up.

"I'm going up," Rori decided. "Hold the ladder." She quickly scaled the ladder and climbed onto the roof. She peeked over the edge a few seconds later and gave Kyle thumbs up.

"He's up there?" Kyle asked.

Rori nodded and disappeared. Kyle listened as he tried to pick out parts of the muffled conversation. A moment later, Rori started making her way down. She stopped halfway and wrapped an arm around a rung. "He followed one of the kittens onto the roof," she said.

"What?" Kyle shouted. "How did it get out?" He stepped away from the ladder and looked at the back door.

"Ladder!" Rori shrieked when she felt it wobble. She hugged it tightly to keep herself from falling off.

Kyle jumped back and gripped the ladder tightly. "Sorry!"

Dave held the kitten out for Rori to take. She grabbed it by the scruff of its neck before she tucked it into the crook of her arm. She slowly moved down until she touched the deck.

"It's Kat," she said instantly.

Dave hopped off the ladder. "That cat," he started stiffly. "That cat has been meowing all day. She was stuck on the room and her mews were coming in through my window.

Kyle took the cat from his sister. "She's been on the roof all say?" he pet the cat and hugged it close. "I bet you're just as hungry as me."

"So have I," Dave grunted. "The ladder fell and I couldn't get down."

Rori hugged her dad tightly around the waist. "Poor baby," she crooned. "Thank you for saving the kitty cat."

"I was able to think about my writing at least," Dave sighed. He had just spent four hours thinking about something, but he wasn't sure it could work in a book. "Do you think I could pull off fiction?" he asked

"Do you want to write a mystery novel, or something?" Kyle asked as he made his way inside. He was still hugging the cat as he gently stroked it behind the ears.

"Maybe," Dave shrugged.

"It's different," Rori said. "I'm not sure if I would do it though."

"Why not?" Dave asked. He had thought that Rori would have told him to do it.

"Why write about a fake murder when you see the real thing every day you walk into the BAU. Face it, the material that surrounds you makes a better true crime novel than some mystery novel with clichéd male leads that resemble Hotch or Morgan in appearance and attitude," Rori explained. "You don't need to write fiction."

Kyle leaned against the kitchen island. "Rori does kind of have a point. She would have better luck in that writing field anyway," he stated. "Her articles and school work is the only formal writing she does."

"How would you know?" Rori snapped defensively.

"Rori, everyone knows that the notebooks under your bed are filled with pages and pages of ideas, and small scenes," Dave said as he opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.

"You looked under my bed?"

"When you have been kidnapped, I searched your room from top to bottom. I did it again while you were being stalked to make sure there were no cameras or bugs," Dave explained.

"I've seen them too," Kyle said. "You don't exactly make huge efforts to keep them from people. They aren't locked away. They just sit there. I read a couple. You could pull off a mystery novel."

"You can always look at my old cases if you want to try mystery writing," Dave said. Judging from the look on Rori's face, she wasn't too keen on the idea of using her dad's old cases in the near future.

"I've got enough on my plate," Rori grumbled. She walked over to the fridge and stared at the large mass of fresh ingredients. "You went shopping?"

Dave's face fell as realization dawned on him. "The team's coming over for a cooking lesson tonight. Do you want to join us?" He had completely forgotten about the dinner arrangements for tonight.

He watched the looks that passed between the two college students. They looked half tempted to accept the offer, but something was holding them back.

"Perhaps it's best if we make other dinner plans," Kyle said slowly. As much as he liked the team, Rossi could get a little over zealous when it came to dinner, and judging by the ingredients, it looks like he was going the Italian road. "I mean, it sounds like this could be the one thing that helps your team jump start after having such a rough start."

"I think Kyle's right," Rori said hastily. She loved her dad, but she didn't love his cooking lessons. Apparently, Christine hadn't taught her how to make pasta correctly. "This really should be a team affair. Have a great time though."

"All right," Dave smiled. "Do you need money?"

"We have your credit card," Kyle said. He started to pull Rori out of the room and waved to Dave. "See ya'"

Once they were out of earshot, Kyle looked at Rori. "Want to invite Alice, Kenta, Davis, and Jared to grab some Teppanyaki. A little dinner and a show while the BAU has some fun cooking with your dad?"

"Well I do love a dinner and a show," Rori grinned. "Dad, we're taking the SUV!" she shouted.

"Don't crash my car!" Dave shouted back.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: A new semester, a new set of classes, a new set of acquaintances, and a new chapter of Judgement. Well this is a great two weeks. Anyway, I'm working on a huge writing spree right now, so I hope to have regular updates about once every two weeks. Here's hoping!

Drop me a review and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you guys.

Ren


	17. Chapter 17

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Seventeen:

October 16, 2011

Rossi was sitting in the small breakfast nook in his home reading the morning newspaper just like he did every morning when he wasn't working on a case. It was a small respite, of course, but at least he was able to have a day to himself. He would have to go to work again tomorrow.

The team was running on fumes right now. So many cases and only so many teams. Strauss was throwing every case that came across her desk at one of the small handful of BAU teams. They were important cases, but as humans, they were only capable of so much before they burned out.

Rori entered the kitchen in white and black checkered pajama bottoms and a tank top. Her thick black hair was pulled up in a haphazard bun. She scanned the kitchen before she looked at her dad. "Where's the coffee?"

Dave pointed the coffee pot. "It's fresh, too."

"What are you doing up?" Rori asked as she crossed the kitchen. She wasn't looking at him, but he didn't really need to think about who she was talking about. "You got in at three in the morning from Boise." She shuffled from one cupboard to another looking for one of her favorite coffee mugs. She opened a creaky cupboard and pulled a tall coffee cup out before she moved to the fridge to grab some milk.

"How do you know I came in at three?" Dave asked looking over the tip of his paper.

Rori paused by the coffee maker before she second guessed her morning coffee choice. She reached for some flavored syrup and opened another cupboard to pull out some coffee pods. "I think I'm going to have a latte."

"Rori, what were you doing up at three in the morning?" Dave asked. Suspicion dripped off of every vowel as he stared at her back.

Rori kept her back turned to him as she worked on making the coffee at her small espresso machine. "I was studying," she said easily as she glanced over her shoulder. "I had just turned off my light when you drove up."

"I thought we agreed that you would stop staying up late to study. You forget all of it anyway," Dave said as he took a sip of coffee.

"I have a midterm coming up. I just was cramming some extra knowledge in," Rori shrugged. She sighed slightly and turned to look at her dad. She leaned against the counter and held her latte in her hand. She peered over the cup as she took a slow sip.

Dave gave her a disapproving frown. After a long discussion a few weeks ago, Dave had addressed both Rori and Kyle about the fact that they always seemed to be asleep at six in the evening. Their grades had yet to suffer (at least, he wasn't aware of any dropping grades), but Dave figured it would happen eventually if it continued. "Rori, sleeping until noon isn't healthy," he said. "And it cuts into your regular study times. I think it would be better if you just slept normal hours and set up revision schedules."

Rori walked over to the breakfast nook and sat down. "One night isn't going to kill me," she said.

"One night will turn into two, and two will turn into three," Dave countered. He dropped the newspaper and looked at Rori who was now using a toothpick to draw some foam art on the top of her latte.

"I thought we also agreed that you would take a step back from the overbearing parent act," Rori said. She kept her eyes averted because she knew that her father didn't like what she had to say. "It's been well over two months since the incident in California. I don't think you have to worry about me stepping out of line again. It was just one night." She slid out of the booth and grabbed her cup.

"Where are you going?" Dave asked. He narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I have to get some 'normal study hours' in," Rori said. "I'm going to get dressed and figure out what needs to get done."

Dave watched her disappear and began grumbling. Rori had a hard semester, and he was only looking out for her. What happened if she slept through class after another late night? He looked up when Kyle poked his head in and looked around.

"Is it safe?" he asked. "Rori sounded a bit bitter."

"She's in her room," Dave said. "Anything happen yesterday that I should know about?" He picked up his paper again in an attempt to rid the room of its cold air.

"Kaoru called from New York," Kyle said. "Some movie people came to his school. They want Rori and Kaoru to put together a small musical piece for some animated short, or something."

Dave dropped his paper. "What?" Dave asked as Kyle grabbed the carton of milk that Rori had left out.

"Yeah," Kyle nodded. He pulled a box of cereal from a cupboard. "She was really excited to tell you about it, too. I think she was going to tell you over breakfast, but I guess that didn't happen."

"I'm going out!" Rori yelled from the front of the house. Dave and Kyle winced when they heard the door slam shut.

"You probably shouldn't tell Rori how to study for a while," Kyle said as he spooned up a large amount of sugary flakes. "She was only up late last night because she was hoping to catch you. She went to bed after I told her to. She was falling asleep on her music textbook. Then you came in dead on your feet, and that kind of sealed the deal."

"How do you know?" Dave asked.

"I was in her room," Kyle said in a tone that indicated that it should have been obvious. "We were talking about the short, and she was bouncing ideas off of me for some English paper she has to write. Kaoru had sent the short to her and we watched it together. It's kind of a clever little story about healing sunflower seeds. I was editing one of her music essays, too. It was just a little light hearted studying mixed in with a sibling social hour."

Dave picked up his newspaper up again to end the conversation. Kyle took five minutes to swallow down his breakfast before leaving the kitchen hastily. The house was quiet again and Dave was out of coffee. This was not a brilliant start to the day.

Finding no satisfaction in the newspaper, Dave tossed it to the side and stood up. An unpleasant feeling had settled in his stomach. Why was it so hard to be a parent? It wasn't like Rori had been honest with him. A problem that seemed to be happening a lot lately. If she had just come out and said her little bit of good news, then maybe he wouldn't have brought up a proper sleep schedule. In fact, he would have forgotten about sleep and would have been elated for his daughter's success in music composition.

Dave put his mug in the dishwasher and headed for the stairs. He peeked into Rori's room before he stepped in. Rori's desk top computer was on and a music composing program had been pulled up next to a dead chat window. Rori had to have been talking to Kaoru while they composed and edited together. However, he didn't see any other windows with the short pulled up.

Rori's textbooks had been shelved for the weekend. She would pull them out as she needed them, and that way everything stayed neat. Her human biology textbook was missing, so he could only assume that she had taken it with her. He looked around and saw a typed up piece of paper over a regular book. It was the mock review Dave had asked Rori to do. She had yet to show it to him. He didn't pick it up because he knew that if Rori found out he had read it before it was ready, she wouldn't be happy.

Kyle looked into the room. "I'm meeting friends in D.C.," he told Dave. "Try not to get stuck on the roof again. And if you do, call Hotch or Morgan to come save your old butt."

"Ha ha," Dave muttered. "I'm making pasta and clams tonight."

"I'll be back by seven," Kyle grinned. "You might have to call Rori to see when she plans on coming back."

Dave grumbled as he left the bedroom. "Have a good time."

"I plan on it."

0o0o0o0

Dave was walking through the grocery store. He periodically glanced at Rori's neat handwritten list. Normally, she would be with him, but she was spending the day with Kenta and Alice, hopefully studying. He figured she just needed space after the near lecture that morning, and he was inclined to give it to her.

Dave stopped the cart when he heard his phone ring. He pulled it out and stared at the number. The 415 area code told him that it was a number in the San Francisco Bay.

"This is David Rossi," he answered.

"Dave," a quiet voice that Rossi hadn't heard for years spoke. "It's Carolyn."

"Carolyn," Dave smiled. "It's been a while." It had been more than four years since they had last seen each other, let alone exchanged a phone call. Dave was still in retirement.

Carolyn and Dave had met in Quantico. He was in the Marines, about to enter the FBI. It was almost love at first sight, and it was certainly a better start to a relationship with his second wife, and Rori's mother, Christine.

"I know," Carolyn laughed. "Maybe that can change though. I'm in town," she said. "Provided you still call Virginia home."

"Really?" Dave asked excitedly. "We should have coffee."

"How about breakfast?" Carolyn suggested. He could hear the smile in her voice. "Do you know if that cute little breakfast diner is still open on Main?"

"Yeah, I stop there some times on the way to work," Dave answered.

"You're back to work?" Carolyn asked curiously.

"I'm back at the FBI, with the BAU," Dave sighed. His job was always a sore spot with any of his ex-wives, so he wouldn't be surprised if Carolyn gave up on the idea of getting breakfast just because he was still working at the BAU. "They needed me."

"Will I see you tomorrow then?" Carolyn questioned hopefully.

Dave felt like he was on air slightly. She still wanted to have breakfast. "Yeah," he said. "How does eight sound?"

"Sound perfect," Carolyn answered. "I'll see you then."

0o0o0o0

October 20, 2011

Rori pulled up the drive to the Rossi household with Kyle in the passenger seat, looking at his phone. It was pitch black outside, and Dave had failed to leave a porch light on. Kyle looked up from the glow of his screen and glanced at the silver Honda civic in the driveway next to Dave's SUV. "Whose car is that?" he asked.

Rori pulled up behind her dad's car not wanting to block the silver car in. "Nobody on the team has a Civic," she said. "It's kind of blah for them. They like SUV's and old cars. Ones with a little personality."

"I think it's a rental," Kyle said as Rori's headlights shone off the rear bumper. He could see a sticker next to the license plate.

"Please, Dad. Just forget to mention that you're having company over. I know you just got back from a case and all, but a little warning would be nice," Rori grumbled unpleasantly. "I suppose you've locked the dogs in your office so that they stay out of the way. My poor pups."

"Are you seriously still bitter over his lecture on sleep and proper study hours?" Kyle asked.

"No," Rori muttered. "I'm just irritated is all."

"It's that time of the month, isn't it?" Kyle asked with a hint of a smirk.

"Shut up," Rori moaned.

"I like normal Rori better than PMS Rori," Kyle sniggered. He jumped out of the car and leaned in to look at her. "Come on, let's go spoil the fun Dad's having with his mystery guest."

Rori smirked and slid out from behind the wheel. "You only call him Dad around me," she mused.

"Well yeah. It's like when you have a half sibling and a step parent," Kyle shrugged as he opened the door. "You don't call their parent by their name. You say 'Let's go see Mom,' or 'Go get Dad'. It's the same thing with us. I call him Dave when I talk with him, but when I'm around you, I call him Dad. Of course, he's not my Dad. Although, I guess he could be considered one of my dads…"

"I get it," Rori cut him off to stop a long discussion. "But I'm not a baby; if you want to call him Dave around me, call him Dave."

"You sure pout like one," Kyle said. He jumped away from the car and rushed towards the house to avoid Rori's bag as she swung it out.

Rori followed him into the house about to start an argument when Kyle put a hand over her mouth and held a finger to her lips.

Dave was talking with a woman in the living room in a small seating area near the piano. Rori and Kyle stood motionless in the foyer hidden from view as they strained to hear what was going on with Dave and the mystery woman. Kyle closed the front door silently as Rori sank low to the ground so as to surreptitiously get a peek at the woman. She pulled her head back quickly when Kyle sat on the ground next to her.

"It's Carolyn," Rori whispered right next to Kyle's ear.

"Who?" Kyle mouthed.

"Dad's first wife," Rori answered.

The two sat motionless on the ground and listened. They had never heard Dave speak about any wife but their mother. They were curious because Dave hadn't even told them that he had been in contact with Carolyn, let alone that she would be stopping by for dinner.

"When did you ever need that with me?" Dave's voice carried through the living room.

The college students knew that they shouldn't be listening in, but curiosity kept them rooted to the spot. Dave clearly hadn't made an effort to tell them that Carolyn would be coming over, so to see Mrs. Rossi Number One was a strange sight indeed.

"You know, who would have thought that we'd find ourselves on a date again after all these years," Dave continued. There was a sense of hope in his voice and it made Rori wrinkle her nose in distaste.

Rori and Kyle looked at each other and continued to listen some more. Rori brought her knees close and hugged them. She was getting a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was a feeling that had everything to do with her father getting back together with Carolyn. Kyle wrapped an arm around his sister, sensing her uneasiness.

"David," Carolyn spoke. She paused as she tried to muster some courage. "Do you remember, during out divorce, the pledge we made to one another? That no matter what, we'd always be there for the other one? Future spouses, and significant others would just have to understand."

_I don't like where this is going,_ Rori thought ominously. She shifted so that she was closer to Kyle. He squeezed her arm smiled reassuringly.

Rori could hear the smile in her father's reply. It was just something you learned to visualize when you heard someone you spoke too all the time. "We joked we were the only couple that had both marriage and divorce vows," he said with a small hint of a chuckle. "Hey, what's going on with you?"

It took Carolyn a moment to speak, and Rori knew that whatever reason she had come to see Dave was about to come out. She could feel hanging in the air like a suffocating heat. "Umm… you know, I…" She struggled to get the words out. "I don't know how to say this except… except to just say it." Carolyn paused again and Rori peeked around the corner. Carolyn was on the brink of tears. "Last year I was diagnosed with ALS… Lou Gehrig's."

"She's dying?" Kyle asked in a low whisper as Rori pulled her head back.

"Carolyn," Dave spoke. There was a mix of surprise and hurt in voice and Rori bit her lip. She didn't like that voice.

"Like you always said, nobody lives forever," Carolyn laughed to cut her former husband off.

Kyle tried to whisper again, but Rori squeezed the arm that was around her shoulder. _We shouldn't be here,_ she thought. _Does she even know that Dad has college students living with him?_

"Why didn't you call me earlier? I could've," he tried to talk but Carolyn cut him off again and Rori bit the inside of her cheek to keep herself from talking.

"We should go," Kyle whispered pulling at his sister's stiff body.

"If we leave now, Dad will know we heard everything," Rori said just as quietly.

"She's talking again," Kyle said. "We can leave now. He'll be so focused on her that he won't even know."

"- I don't know that I ever will," Carolyn was now pausing more often as she tried to find the words and the courage to get her meaning across. "I've had this disease for over a year now. To live eighteen months is a gift. In the last few weeks, I started noticing the signs. It won't be long now."

"She has a dying wish," Rori whispered as her eyes widened. That was the only reason she was here. She came to ask David Rossi for something. What was Carolyn going to ask of her dad? She glanced at Kyle and found that his worried look mirrored her own.

"I came to ask you… when the disease reached the point, and I'm too weak, or too afraid-"

Rori didn't even wait to hear the end of Carolyn's words. She knew what Mrs. Rossi Number One wanted. She pulled Kyle up and opened the door quietly.

"Did she just ask him to help with her suicide?" Kyle asked as Rori turned her Mustang on.

Rori turned in her seat to look behind her as she started to back out quickly. "We need to go," she said. There was a sense of urgency in her voice, and she didn't look at her brother. "How does yogurt sound?" Her voice had raised an octave.

Kyle stared at the large house and glanced back at Rori. He decided to stay silent while Rori focused on getting them as far away from the conversation as possible. "Yogurt sounds good," he said quietly.

Five minutes later as Rori got on the freeway she gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Kyle, what if he does it. What if he helps her kill herself?"

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: The crucial episodes for season seven have finally made their way into Judgement. I wonder what will happen. Anyway, school's super crazy, so I don't know what will happen with updates.

Drop me a review and let me know what you think.

Ren


	18. Chapter 18

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC ground. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Eighteen:

October 22, 2011; Manhattan, New York

"So let me get this straight," Kaoru Kayashima started as he paced around one of Julliard's Practice Rooms. He looked at the expectant Rori sitting on a bench in front of a piano. "Your dad's first wife shows up with news of a grim diagnosis, and she wants your dad to help her commit suicide."

Rori nodded with a frown. She clasped her hands in her lap as she waited for her best friend to continue. The whole reason she was here because she needed to talk to someone, and Kaoru was the first person who had come to mind. Not really, but he was the only one that wouldn't spill the beans on her to anyone.

Kaoru turned and continued pacing. "You and Kyle overheard this bit of information, but ran before your dad and Wife Number One knew you were there. You've now camped out at Giles' place because you don't know how to explain to your dad that you heard everything. Nor do you really know where you stand on the matter."

Rori nodded again. So far he had summarized an hour long panicked explanation in five minutes.

"Still confused on the matter, you turn all your homework in early, pack a bag, and drive all the way up here to talk with yours truly," Kaoru finished and stopped in front of Rori. He grabbed his long ponytail that was draped over his shoulder and tossed it back over his back.

"Pretty much," Rori said. She had a helpless look about her. "Kaoru, I don't know what to do."

"Well, to be honest, I'm a little confounded myself," Kaoru stated as he sat next to Rori. "Do you think he would do it?"

Rori let out a groan and bent over as she buried her face in her hands. She had been asking herself that question for two days, and she didn't know the answer. There were factors to consider when it came to something so complex. She wasn't an expert on emotions or assisted suicide laws (but she knew that Virginia wasn't a state that allowed it). She couldn't go to someone in the BAU because they would tell her dad that she knew. Not to mention the fact that Dave had kept his mouth shut about Carolyn coming to dinner in the first place. Why would he tell the BAU that she was dying and that she wanted his help in ending her life?

Kaoru patted her on the back and smiled sympathetically. He decided to change the topic because he wasn't too keen on talking about death and possible illegal activity. "I'm glad you came though," he said. "How long are you going to stay?"

"Are you going to kick me out and send me home?" Rori asked look up at the wall in front of her.

"No," Kaoru said pushing his glassed up his nose. "I'm starting to wish you had come here with me."

"Really?" Rori asked sitting up.

"I know music is your hobby, but it's quite lonely here," Kaoru stated. He crossed his ankles and smiled at her. "If you had come with me to New York, maybe I wouldn't feel that way."

Rori hugged Kaoru tightly. "Julliard is your dream come true," she said. "How can you be lonely with all of these music lovers around you?"

Kaoru hugged her back. "I put in for a transfer actually," Kaoru said.

Rori pushed Kaoru away quickly. "What!" she asked. Kaoru winced at the sharp tone. "Kaoru, Julliard is-"

"A great school." Kaoru smiled. "But I miss my mom and dad. I miss you and Kenta. I miss my girlfriend. So I'm fixing all of that. Next fall, I'm going to GWU for their general music major."

"Kaoru," Rori whispered looking at him. "I don't understand. I mean, yeah, New York isn't where your family is, but I thought you loved it here."

"I've already talked about it with my parents. I agreed to finish this year in New York," Kaoru said. He grinned and took Rori's hand in his. "Besides, it'll be better for you if I'm closer during your emotional crisis stage when the whole world seems to be fighting against you."

"Kenta kind of already does that," Rori laughed.

"Then why are you here?" Kaoru asked with a raised brow. He knew the answer. Rori needed to get away more than she needed to talk. New York was just the place to do it.

"He's studying for midterms," Rori said indignantly. She tried to cross her arms, but Kaoru was still holding her hand.

Kaoru laughed and let go. He stood up and collected some of his sheet music. "Times up for the room. Do you want to go out for dinner, or will we cook together?"

Rori stood up feeling a little lighter inside now that she had spoken with someone. "Let's go out. I hope you don't mind, but I used Dad's Broadway passes so we can go see a night showing of 'Newsies'. I thought that it might help get my mind off of things."

"And you didn't go for 'Book of Mormon'," Kaoru laughed. "I'm shocked. I'll have to get my pageboy hat from the house if we're seeing 'Newsies'."

0o0o0o0

Quantico, Virginia

Dave knew that his head wasn't totally in the game since Carolyn broke news of her disease. He was trying to figure out where he stood when it came to something so serious, and he was so completely lost. On top of that, Rori had taken a last minute trip to New York to work with Kaoru on their composition. Kyle and Dave were the only people in the house, and it was quiet without the musician.

Dave thought back to the night Carolyn told him that she was dying of a disease that had no definite cure. He had waited all night to tell her about the recent additions to his home, but he got so wrapped up in getting to know her again, that it never came up.

0o0

October 20, 2011

"Carolyn," Dave swallowed and looked at his hands as he tried to find the courage to tell her about the past year. "I need to tell you something."

Carolyn's face fell slightly, but she wanted to hear what her ex had to say. "There is someone in your life," she said jumping to the one conclusion that she promised herself she wouldn't do. She wanted to know that Dave had found happiness with someone else, but there was a part of her that hoped that he was still single. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought this all on you."

"No," Dave said quickly. He didn't need Carolyn thinking the wrong thing. That wouldn't be good for either of them. "I mean, there is someone, but not _someone_." He gave the last word enough emphasis to give Carolyn the right idea.

"Oh," Carolyn said sitting straighter. "Who is it?"

"Do you remember Christine?" Dave asked. "My second wife?" He didn't know how else to approach the topic, except for to just say it. Just like Carolyn had with her ALS.

"Of course. She was a really nice woman," Carolyn smiled. She and Christine had gotten along quite well whenever they had seen each other. She could have sworn she had seen the other woman a couple time in San Francisco. "The two of you were only married for a couple years though, right?"

"Yes," Dave nodded. "Ummm… Well, when we got the divorce, Chris was pregnant. I have a daughter, Carolyn. I've also taken in her brother, too."

"You never told me you had a daughter," Carolyn mused. She started to pick at her nails. Surely this was something that would have come up in a phone call. Even if it had been more than five years since they had last spoken. The divorce was almost twenty years ago now, so his daughter would be college age.

"Uh…" Dave started. He wasn't quite sure to say to this. "It's kind of a complicated story."

Carolyn smiled easily. This was the Dave she knew. How had they fallen so out of touch that she didn't know Dave had a daughter? Curiosity pulled at her mind and she wanted to know more. "Well, we've got some time. Why don't you tell me this complicated story?"

Dave sat back and relaxed in the couch. It was so much easier to be honest with her now that she wanted to know more. "Are you sure you want the entire story?" he asked as he looked her over. She certainly didn't look like she had ALS.

Carolyn reached over and held his hand for a moment before she leaned back in her own seat. She looked at him expectantly. "Go for it."

0o0

Dave let out a sigh and pulled out his cell phone to call Rori. He grabbed a pen when the call went directly to voicemail. Her phone was off, and he now worried every time it was, but he tried to give Rori the benefit of the doubt and assumed she was working hard with Kaoru and that she simply couldn't be bothered with distractions.

"_Hey there! You're listening to Rori's Voicemail. And while I'm stating the obvious, I should also let you know that I can't answer the phone right now. Leave a message, and I'll get back to you."_

Dave sighed and uncapped the pen he was holding. "Just checking in. Happy composing," he said before he hung up.

He grabbed a folder and started working again. He had to earn a paycheck somehow. Work was also the kind of thing he needed to distract him from thoughts of Carolyn, cures for ALS, and a moody teenage girl.

0o0

Dave walked into his home a few hours later and found Kyle sitting on the couch with his back to the agent. The TV was on, but Kyle had paused some crime drama and he held a cell phone to his ear.

"Come on, Rori," Kyle said. "I do not sound like Dave. Just be safe. New York is full of crazy people, and Kaoru isn't exactly Mr. Defense. The guy writes music. No, it's not a bad thing to write music. Stop putting words in my mouth, that's not what I said." The college student let out an aggravated sigh.

Dave stayed back at the edge of the family room and listened to Kyle talk about his day after calming his little sister down. The profiler felt a smile tug at his lips when Kyle mentioned that a reference to one of Rossi's bestsellers had gotten him extra points with his Psych professor.

"They've found out that I'm living with him," Dave heard Kyle said. "Some guys asked me to introduce them to your dad. It was both creepy and annoying."

Dave laughed silently and shook his head. The same thing happened after Rori had her article on the BAU published. "Publishing that article was the biggest mistake of my life," Rori was heard grumbling a week later.

"Call Dave tonight, kay?" Kyle said. "I know you're writing music and school is being a pain, but I'm sure Dave wants to hear from you."

_Yeah_, Dave thought sadly. He did want to hear from Rori. Maybe then he could feel a little lighter. He just needed one less complication.

Dave moved back to his office and sat down at the desk. He slouched and closed his eyes as he tried some deep breathing exercises. He really needed to make a decision about where he stood when it came to Carolyn's request. He sat up and did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed a red pen and a green pen from a cup on his desk. It was time to make a list. Writing it all out would be the only he could look at it objectively. At the very least, it would make things a whole lot clearer when he looked at it on paper. He could sort out his thoughts and go from there.

0o0o0o0

Manhattan, New York

Kaoru fell on the couch next to Rori in his small studio apartment. She was staring off into space as she hugged her knees. She clutched a pale blue pen in one hand and rubbed her thumb over the silver casing. The brand name had been rubbed off after months of use, and Kaoru knew why. Pale blue was the color she reserved for music composition.

On the coffee table was a stack of paper and a scattered mess of multi-colored pens. Kaoru saw a list made up of lime green and hot pink. _One of her pro/con lists,_ he thought. "What's the list for?"

Rori blinked and looked at her friend. "What?" she asked.

"The list?" Kaoru repeated as he turned the TV on to watch some recorded shows.

"I'm trying to figure out if Dad will do it," Rori said. She pointed at the list with her pen and she let her knees drop so that he feet were on the ground once more. "The list says he won't, but the list doesn't factor in one thing."

"What's that?"

"How much he cares for Carolyn," Rori said. This was an obstacle she didn't know how to tackle. "Human emotions are so unpredictable, and that makes the answer so much harder to figure out. If he cares about her a lot, he might help her end her life, then again that same amount of love might make him want to hang on to her as long as he could."

Kaoru looked at the list once more before wrapping an arm out Rori as she turned to hide her face in his chest. "I don't know what he's going to do," Rori said completely defeated. "If he does it, he can go to jail, if he doesn't he might not be the same knowing that he had the chance to help her one last time."

Kaoru rubbed her back as she started to cry.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: It's not a very long chapter, but it has all the conflicting emotions of a decent soap opera. How's that for angsty goodness. Can we move onto greener pastures? Well, I'm thinking there are only a couple more chapters of this story left, so we're in the home stretch.

Update on school: I hate Psych's note taking process, I hate English Poetry, and I hate my six hour class on Saturdays, but there are only seven weeks left. I think I can push through to the end. It's almost in sight! Then it's a sweet sweet vacation time where all I'm doing is working.

Drop me a review and let me know what you think

Ren


	19. Chapter 19

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC grounds. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Nineteen:

October 25, 2011

Dave let out a sigh as he walked around his hotel room. He had a decision to make and he had to make it soon. This was not something he could sit on his hands about. Even if it wasn't an easy fix. Oh how he wished it was that simple.

Dave sat down at the small writing desk and leaned back in the chair lazily. With his hands gripping the arms tightly, he looked up at the ceiling. Could he do it?

The immediate reply his mind gave him was a resounding and loud 'no'. Assisted suicide was not something he could do. Thou shall not kill, and some other nonsense. He couldn't do it because it was illegal. Even if he was in a state or country that allowed it, there were doctors to consult, legal red tape to fight, and the overall question of how. He wouldn't be allowed to help Carolyn. If he did and legal authorities found out, he could lose his job at the FBI and he would face jail time.

He pulled his phone out to see if there were any messages. A futile move. He would have known if someone had contacted him. That's what a ringer was for. Rori grinned up at him from the display. A photo that she insisted he put on.

He could lose Rori.

He paused for a moment. Why would he say yes? He had promised Carolyn that he would be there for her no matter what. But did he really mean this? Could he go through with something that would cause him to lose another loved one? Carolyn was going to die no matter what. Could he help her leave the world on her terms instead of the terms of a disease that had no cure? Carolyn was always one to do things her way.

Dave smiled to himself. That was one of the things that drew him in. The day he met Carolyn, she was lecturing some poor soul on the proper way to make a pie crust. No matter what anyone said, Carolyn believed that her way was the best way. Dave never did argue this point. Carolyn could make an apple pie that made you feel like you were standing at the gates of Heaven waiting for God to let you in at a seconds notice.

Dave growled in despair. How could he make a decision so life altering? He was completely lost and he couldn't go to anyone. Sure, Emily knew about Carolyn's last request, but she hadn't really been much help on the matter. She had asked him about his decision and now there was a sense of urgency hanging around him.

This case certainly hadn't helped at all. A lost soul killing as he sought answers to the mysterious afterlife. Maybe if Dave knew what awaited Carolyn after death… Maybe then the decision would be clear.

Dave's phone chirped and he glanced down.

_When you get home, can we talk? _Rori's text made the senior agent's heart rate increase. On top of a big decision, Rori wanted to 'talk'.

_Is everything okay? _He texted back.

Rori's reply came almost immediately. _No, but I can't talk about it on the phone. Too personal._

Dave groaned, fighting the urge to call his daughter. She wouldn't talk until they were face to face. He knew this, and it was one of the things that frustrated him above all things when it came to Rori. She was never one to approach certain topics on the phone. _Dinner Sergio's?_

_Home cooked meal, please. Not a discussion for public eyes. _

_I'll be home soon. _At least he hoped that the team would be on their way home soon. They had some things that they had to finish up before they could head back, and in all likelihood, they wouldn't leave until tomorrow morning.

_Kay Kay._

Maybe he was just getting used to his daughter's texting style, or he was starting to feel a little stressed, but he could see her in his mind's eye. Rori's sad eyes, worried frown, in need of a big hug. All of it was so clear to him. "This is not a good month," Dave muttered placing his phone on the hotel desk before he turned to the bed to attempt a decent night's sleep.

0o0o0o0

Carolyn was sitting on her bed at one of the best hotels in D.C. She held a framed photo in her hands staring at a captured piece of her wedding day with the one and only David Rossi all those years ago. They were young, in love, and they felt like nothing could stop them from living their lives the way they were meant to be lived. Many years later, something did get in the way and the happy life they had built together was no more.

A knock at the door dragged her attention from the photo. "Just a minute," she called to the unexpected guest. She dropped the frame face down on the mattress and made her way towards the door.

She opened the door with a pleasant, but weak smile. "Yes?"

The older woman stared curiously at the teenager in front of her. She didn't look like a hotel employee, what with the tattered, ripped jeans, Georgetown hoodie, and purple contacts. She looked more like a free spirited college student ready to march on the hill because of a hike in tuition.

"Are you Carolyn Rossi?" the girl asked looking around nervously.

Carolyn frowned, wondering who she was about to talk to. "Who might you be?"

"I'm your ex-husband's daughter," the teen answered. Her tone was more blunt than explanatory.

Carolyn poked her head into the hall to see if anyone was loitering. She then turned her full attention to Rori. "How did you know to find me here?"

Rori bit her lip and cracked her knuckles. "I'm smart, and if need be, I can tell a decent lie or two," she answered quietly. She looked down. "I don't know why I'm here. Kenta and Kyle said I should just let my dad handle it. Kaoru wanted me to stay in New York, but my head is all fuzzy and jumbled up, and I can't write, my midterms are coming up, and I haven't studied at all." Rori was a half second away from pacing the hallway as she let her entire thought process fell out of her mouth.

"Why don't you come in," Carolyn suggested before Rori could start talking again.

Rori took a peek into the room before she shuffled in. "I know that this is incredibly bold of me, but my mind won't be rid of this until I speak my mind, so I'm here."

Carolyn crossed her arms defensively. A rambling teenager was standing five feet away, and yet, all she could think about was how much she looked like Dave. The black hair, the same skin tone, the same way they moved their hands as they spoke.

"You look like him, you know," Carolyn interrupted. She smiled and moved over to the bed.

"I- what?" Rori changed direction midway through her sentence and looked at the older woman confused.

"You're David Rossi's daughter all right," Carolyn said with a smile. "He showed me a picture, and I thought that you looked more like Christine. Now that you're standing in front of me, you look more like him."

"Uh… Thank you?" Rori asked slowly. She moved to biting the inside of her cheek as she picked at her nails. She looked up again. "I know you're dying. I don't mean to be so… blunt is the word, but I don't know how else to say something like that. They don't exactly cover it in the how to be a polite teenager guide book."

"You know I have ALS," Carolyn stated. "How did you find this out?"

"I heard you talking to my dad," Rori answered. She now found it hard to look at the woman, ashamed to admit that she had been listening in. It was something that most people knew they shouldn't do. "I can't possibly imagine the kind of pain you're in because of this disease, and I don't know that I ever will know what it's like. I mean, if I was in your position, maybe I would want to die on my own terms as well, but I'm not, so maybe I shouldn't be the judge of all of this."

"You were eavesdropping," Carolyn said slowly. She wondered why she wasn't angrier with the teen, but right now, all she wanted to do was give the child a hug.

"I'm sorry, I really am. Kyle and I had come back from a day in D.C. Dad never told me that he was having dinner with you," Rori started to ramble again. She looked up at Carolyn helplessly. "Please, I know that this is something the two of you agreed to a long time ago, but please don't make my dad help you. I know I'm asking a lot, and you don't have to listen to me, but he still loves you. If he helped you, he would feel responsible for the rest of his life. He wasn't able to help you further. He can't do this."

"I'm not going to make him do anything," Carolyn said with a reassuring smile.

"What?" Rori asked.

Carolyn uncrossed her arms and held her hands up. "I thought about it, and I know he'll say no when I see him next. I know that it was too much," Carolyn explained. She shrugged. "I guess I just had to try."

Carolyn stood up and took a couple steps towards Rori. "You're a good kid, even if you did lie to find out what room I was in," she laughed slightly. "How'd you do it?"

"I told them that my dad wanted me to drop off something for my stepmom, but he failed to give me the room number. Most people don't argue when you have the same last name," Rori answered. She shook her head. "I shouldn't have come. It's not my place to tell you what to do, but-"

"He's your dad," Carolyn finished. It had been something she had been thinking about. When you added a kid to the mix, things got a lot more complicated. "I thought I needed him to do this, and I think that I still want him around, but after I found out about you, I realized that you probably need him more than me. It sounds like you've gone through a lot with him."

"Shit, you're nicer than I thought you would be," Rori muttered.

Carolyn laughed. "When you're dying, you tend to change the way you act. Twenty years ago, I'm not sure I would be saying the same thing." The kid had a personality, and Carolyn felt herself among a friendly soul. That is, if she forgot the whole lying and eavesdropping part.

"Thank you," Rori said with a smile. "I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to know you. You are pretty cool."

Carolyn glanced around her empty hotel room. "You wouldn't want to know an old crone like me," she said lightly. She waved a hand around the room. "Would you like to have some room service with me? I wouldn't mind hearing about the adventures you've had with Dave from your point of view."

Rori looked around, unsure of how to respond. Carolyn only smiled and waited patiently. "Don't tell my dad. I have to talk to him tomorrow about all of this when he gets back. I wouldn't mind knowing about my dad before he met my mom."

"Deal."

0o0o0o0

October 26, 2011

There was nothing Dave would rather do than lock himself in his house for a week. He had just left Carolyn with the coroner, and he felt heavy from the sadness that overcame him after she closed her eyes for the last time. He didn't think it would be this hard to let Carolyn go. Even though she died peacefully, Dave felt like Carolyn had been ripped away from him. Another person he loved was gone from this world.

The entire first floor was dark except the foyer light. Dave climbed the stairs tiredly, hoping a good night's sleep would help.

The door to Rori's bedroom was open and the light cast familiar shadows on the wall. Dave walked to the door and looked in. He tried to hide the sadness he felt. "How was New York?" he asked as he coughed.

Rori looked away from the essay on her desktop. The smile on her face faded when she saw the sad eyes, worn features, and slouched posture her dad had. All of this fell into place in her head to one answer. "Carolyn killed herself tonight, didn't she?" she asked.

Rori's words shocked the agent so much that he dropped the jacket he was holding. "How do you know about that?"

Rori turned her desk chair all the way around and blew out a sigh. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about," she said. She looked at the floor for a minute before looking up at her dad. "I overheard your conversation with Carolyn here at the house."

Dave stepped into Rori's bedroom, his mind drifting between thoughts of anger and thoughts of confusion. Rori hadn't come home until midnight with Kyle. She said they were at the twins playing board games. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, you weren't exactly forthcoming yourself," Rori said dully. "You never told me you saw your first wife. You never told me that you had invited her to dinner. I wasn't about to admit that I knew about her because you didn't even feel the need to tell me that she was in town." Rori stood up and walked to her window and looked at her nails.

"Rori, that was a private conversation," Dave said sharply.

Rori snorted. "Yeah, I kind of figured that out, but I still heard it, and it isn't exactly easy for me to forget something like suicide!" she said. She crossed her arms and turned to look at her dad stubbornly. "I went to New York because I needed to think, and I couldn't do it around you. I came back when I figured out what to do."

"And what did you do?" Dave asked suspiciously.

Rori took a deep breath, knowing that what she was about to tell him wouldn't sit well. She blew out the breath slowly. "I went to go see Carolyn."

"Rori!"

"Don't give me that look!" Rori snapped back. "She wanted your help when it came to her suicide. Do you have any idea the legal implications that are involved in something like that! You could have gone to jail."

"Rori, it's my business what I decide to do," Dave said.

Rori moved to her computer and started typing quickly. She save the document and sent it to her laptop. "Kyle is staying at Davis'," she said. "I'm going to Kenta's. I can't be here right now. I have midterms this week."

"Hang on," Dave said, sharply taking a step forward. "We're not done talking."

"You're not," Rori sighed, slipping her laptop into her backpack. "I am. I don't want to talk anymore. I just have to questions. Were you ever going to tell me that she was in town? What about her last request?"

Dave felt the muscles in his chest constrict. He hadn't expected questions like this. He had told Prentiss, but she was a profiler, an agent, a confidant. Rori was his daughter, and he had to protect her from grim thoughts. "No," he admitted.

"Forget your parental prerogative to protect me from the dangers of this world for one moment. I am your daughter, and I need you just as much as Carolyn needed you during her last moments. Why couldn't you tell me?" Rori whispered. She grabbed her shoulder bag and car keys. She pushed her desk chair in and sighed. "I've got to go. I'll call tomorrow."

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: After a long break with this story, I hope that this chapter comes close to wrapping up what needs to be wrapped up. I mean there's still one chapter left for this part of the story, and it's going to be last chapter in the story. Carolyn can't just disappear like that. Then it's on to the next adventure with these two. I hope that the chapter is realistic. Some of it came off as farfetched, but I went with what the muse said.

Drop me a review and I hope to have the new chapter out soon.

Ren


	20. Chapter 20

Author: Ren Kayashima

Genre: Family/ Mystery

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Alas my top secret mission to steal the rights to Criminal Minds failed. At the last minute my repel line broke and I was arrested for trespassing on ABC grounds. If you would like to help me with bail money…

0o0o0o0

Chapter Twenty:

November 1, 2011

Dave sat in a quiet graveyard. Five days after Carolyn's death. Five days after Rori walked out of his house bitter and angry. The week had not been kind to him and now he just wanted to reminisce and mope about on his own. He flicked at some thick blades of grass from the red blanket he had set out, his face somber as he remembered the life he had with Carolyn. He quickly found his thoughts drifting to the son he never knew, the life he could have had with James and Carolyn.

"We had a good run," Carolyn's voice popped up in Dave's head and he felt himself smile. He knew Carolyn well enough to know exactly how she would respond. "It'll do you no good to think about what might have been."

"You're probably right," Dave said. He took a timid sip of the wine he had brought with him. It had been bottled the same year he and Carolyn had married. How was that for nostalgia?

"Who's right?"

Dave turned to find Rori standing off to the side. She wore a long knit sweater and held a bouquet of colorful flowers in one hand and her violin case in the other. She tried to blow some stray hairs out of her face but wasn't successful. She resorted to lifting her hand that clutched her violin case and pushing it out of the way with the back of her hand. She looked around the empty graveyard.

Dave leaned back slightly to see Kyle slowly making his way over to the gravesite. The agent shifted uncomfortably and let out a tired sigh. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Don't sound so surprised," Rori answered sardonically. "Carolyn asked me to come and play a song for her." She blew her bangs out of her face when they shifted again.

Dave sat up a little straighter, a little perplexed at his daughter's answer. Carolyn had asked Rori to come? "What?"

"When I had dinner with her in her hotel room," Rori answered. She crouched down and placed the flowers to the side of Carolyn gravestone. "We talked about my partnership with Kaoru and how we compose music. After that, she asked that I come and play a song for her, something nice to honor her passing. I agreed, but told her I would wait a couple days to do it. I didn't think you would be here, and so I thought Kyle and I would come." She kneeled on the soft grass and started unpacking her violin. Kyle stopped behind her and waved to Dave meekly before stuffing his hands in his deep pockets.

Rori started plucking the strings carefully as she twisted the knobs at the head of the violin. She had one ear bent towards the instrument to work on making sure the tune was perfect. The teen paused when she saw the flat tombstone for James David Rossi.

"Another brother?" she asked. She looked at Dave with a raised eyebrow. "1979, which would make him thirty-two. A much older brother."

"He only lived six hours," Dave said wincing at the memory of losing his first child. Carolyn hadn't left their bedroom for three weeks after James died. She couldn't even go to the funeral. It was too much for the mother. "He was born with deformed lungs and kidney failure. The doctors couldn't do anything, but we cherished every moment we had with him. He was a precious child."

Rori frowned before she looked at her violin. She wasn't quite sure how to respond. Infant death wasn't something you could smile about. She quickly searched her brain for something, anything to say. She looked at her dad. "He would have been a heartbreaker," she said. "He had good genes." She started to hum "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benetar. "I'll play a song for him, too. He should be remembered."

Dave sighed and set his wine down on the edge of Carolyn's tombstone. "You didn't have to come," he said quietly. Even as he said it, he knew that he didn't believe the words. He found it comforting to have his two kids there with him, even if one kid didn't share his blood. They were family, and he could use the company.

"Of course we did," Kyle said. He walked over to James' grave and sat down. He crossed his legs and brushed off the loose grass off the flat stone. He leaned back on his hands and shrugged. "We're a family, aren't we?"

"A pretty fracked up family," Rori muttered with a snicker. "But, I wouldn't change it. It's got too many perks." She tweaked the last knob and plucked the E string carefully.

"You're like a stepdad to me," Kyle stated. He laughed lightly. "A stepdad I actually like." His smile grew and he looked at James' headstone. "Now I have a brother… sort of."

Rori grinned as she pulled out her bow. She stood up slowly and looked around once more to make sure there weren't any other people around. She rested a fist on her hip and her bow was pointed out. "Look, just because we didn't know Carolyn as long or as well as you did, Dad, doesn't mean we can't be here for you. You're hurting, and she was a special person. I could tell that much from one dinner."

Dave met Rori's gaze as she looked down at him, determined to make her point clear. Her violin was propped up on her shoulder, her chin resting carefully on the black chin rest attached to the polished wood. She smiled at Dave, encouraging him to smile back. He paused slightly when he thought back to the short argument he had with his daughter the night Carolyn died. Rori had stayed with Kenta for a couple nights and she returned home without a word. The two of them had yet to mend the bridges they had burned. Not that they really had time to talk. Rori finished her midterms only to jump into prep for her finals. Apparently, some group members had yet to complete essential prep for the final project. With seven weeks left of the semester, Dave was sure she was overreacting as an excuse to avoid further discussion, but he could have been wrong. It had been a while since he had attended college courses.

"What are you going to play?" Dave asked.

"Amazing Grace for Carolyn," Rori answered. "I was thinking something more jovial for James. _Pirates of the Caribbean _seems like something he would enjoy. I mean I enjoy it and we have one parent in common."

Dave shook his head in amusement. "Thank you," he whispered. He ran a hand over his beard and closed his eyes as Rori began to play her new song. She let her fingers jump and float across the finger board and metal strings. He let himself relax slowly as he remembered Carolyn.

As Rori finished the song, Dave brushed away a tear. He hugged his knees carefully and looked at Kyle. He turned as Rori danced her way around the blanket. She propped the violin up on her shoulder again.

"Thank you, so much," Dave said.

"That's what family is for," Rori answered. "I'm sorry I walked out on you. It was wrong."

Dave sighed and looked at Carolyn's name. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Carolyn. I'm sorry I didn't trust you."

"Hallelujah," Kyle muttered. "I can stop sleeping on Davis' couch. At least he won't punch me in the face."

Rori burst out laughing. "You could have come home, you know."

"No, you mad is worse than Davis' fashion advice." Kyle muttered.

Dave smiled. He was surrounded by family, and there were smiles. He couldn't ask for more.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: Well this is the last chapter of this story and what a ride it's been. This story has taken so long to complete, but I like it. It's so angsty, but maybe I needed to write this story. It's made me so excited for the next part of the adventure. Thank you so much for sticking with it.

Don't forget to review.

Ren


End file.
